bicycle (English)

Where does "bicycle" come from?

The English noun 'bicycle' was borrowed from French 'bicycle' (which later became 'bicyclette'), a term built from the prefix 'bi-' meaning 'two' combined with 'cycle'[1]. First attested in French in 1847 and in English in 1868, the word describes a two wheeled vehicle propelled by pedals[1]. The slang sense meaning 'a promiscuous woman' arose later from the double meaning of the verb 'ride', playing on the idea that a communal vehicle would have many riders[1].

Full etymology tree

• bicycle (English), 'A vehicle that has two primary wheels, one behind the other, a steering handle, and a saddle seat or seats and is usually propelled by the action of a rider’s feet upon pedals.'
  • borrowed bicycle (French), 'bicycle'
    • prefix bi- (French), 'bi-'
    • affix cycle (French), 'cycle'

Ancestors

• *kʷelh₁- (Proto-Indo-European)
• bicycle (French)

Descendants and derived words

• ဘိုင်စကယ် (Burmese)
• bosikol (Central Dusun)
• antibicycle (English)
• autobicycle (English)
• a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle (English)
• a woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle (English)
• balance bicycle (English)
• bicyclable (English)
• bicycle bridge (English)
• bicycle carrier (English)
• bicycle clip (English)
• bicycle crunch (English)

Sources

1. bicycle (English) - Wiktionary

Updated October 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris