bike

UK: baɪk | US: baɪk

Definition

  1. n. a short term for "bicycle" or "motorcycle"

  2. vt. to ride a bicycle or motorcycle

Structure
bi <two>ke <shortened form of "cycle">
Etymology

The word "bike" is a clipped form of "bicycle," which itself derives from the French "bicyclette." The morpheme "bi-" comes from Latin "bis" (meaning "two"), referring to the two wheels of the vehicle, while "-cycle" originates from Greek "kyklos" (meaning "wheel" or "circle"). Over time, "bicycle" was colloquially shortened to "bike," retaining the core idea of a two-wheeled vehicle.

Examples

  1. She rides her bike to work every morning.

  2. He bought a new mountain bike for his weekend adventures.

  3. The kids learned to bike without training wheels last summer.

  4. We decided to bike along the scenic trail by the river.

  5. His old bike was stolen from the parking lot.