Is a tricycle only for children?

Primarily, but adult tricycles exist for utility, recreation, or for those with balance issues.

What is the difference between a tricycle and a bicycle?

A tricycle has three wheels, offering inherent stability, while a bicycle has two wheels and requires balance.

Can 'tricycle' be used as a verb?

No, 'tricycle' is not standardly used as a verb. One 'rides a tricycle'.

Is 'trike' a proper word?

Yes, 'trike' is a widely accepted, informal shortening of 'tricycle'.

Is “tricycle” formal?

Tricycle is usually neutral, everyday in register.

How do you pronounce “tricycle”?

Tricycle: in British English it is pronounced /ˈtraɪ.sɪ.kəl/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈtraɪ.sɪ.kəl/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.

tricycle: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

UK/ˈtraɪ.sɪ.kəl/US/ˈtraɪ.sɪ.kəl/

Neutral, Everyday

My Flashcards

Quick answer

What does “tricycle” mean?

A three-wheeled vehicle, typically pedal-driven, used by young children before they learn to ride a bicycle.

Audio

Pronunciation

Definition

Meaning and Definition

A three-wheeled vehicle, typically pedal-driven, used by young children before they learn to ride a bicycle.

Any three-wheeled human-powered or motor-powered vehicle, including pedal-driven trikes for children, cargo trikes, and motorised rickshaws or delivery vehicles in some contexts.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

No significant difference in meaning or usage. 'Trike' is universally informal.

Connotations

Strongly associated with early childhood. Can connote something basic or for beginners.

Frequency

Equally common in both varieties.

Grammar

How to Use “tricycle” in a Sentence

NP ride a tricycleNP have/get a tricycleNP fall off a tricycle

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong

ride a tricyclechild's tricyclepedal tricycle

medium

red tricyclenew tricycleget on/off a tricycle

weak

stable tricycletricycle racetricycle accident

Usage

Meaning in Context

Business

Rare, except in manufacturing or retail of children's toys.

Academic

Rare, except in developmental psychology or studies of motor skills.

Everyday

Common in contexts relating to young children, parenting, and early learning.

Technical

Used in engineering/design contexts for three-wheeled vehicle types.

Vocabulary

Synonyms of “tricycle”

Strong

trike

Neutral

trike three-wheeler

Weak

cyclepedal car

Vocabulary

Antonyms of “tricycle”

bicycle two-wheeler unicycle

Watch out

Common Mistakes When Using “tricycle”

Incorrect spelling: 'trycicle', 'tricicle'. Incorrect article: 'ride tricycle' instead of 'ride a tricycle'.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

: Primarily, but adult tricycles exist for utility, recreation, or for those with balance issues.
: A tricycle has three wheels, offering inherent stability, while a bicycle has two wheels and requires balance.
: No, 'tricycle' is not standardly used as a verb. One 'rides a tricycle'.
: Yes, 'trike' is a widely accepted, informal shortening of 'tricycle'.
: A three-wheeled vehicle, typically pedal-driven, used by young children before they learn to ride a bicycle.
: Tricycle is usually neutral, everyday in register.
: Tricycle: in British English it is pronounced /ˈtraɪ.sɪ.kəl/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈtraɪ.sɪ.kəl/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

TRI-cycle has TRI (three) wheels, just like a TRIangle has three sides.

Conceptual Metaphor

A TRICYCLE IS A FIRST STEP (towards riding a bicycle, towards independence).

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap

Before she could ride a bike, she spent hours on her little red .

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is most strongly associated with the word 'tricycle'?