pedal
pedal
Pronunciation
Here is the phonetic spelling, word form variations, and definitions for the word pedal.
Phonetic Spelling
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) spelling for pedal is: /ˈpɛdəl/
Syllable 1: ped- (/pɛd/)
/p/: The p sound as in "pat"
/ɛ/: The short e sound as in "bed"
/d/: The d sound as in "dog"
Syllable 2: -al (/əl/)
/ə/: The "schwa" sound, an unstressed vowel like the a in "sofa" or the u in "supply"
/l/: The l sound as in "lip"
Word Form Variations
Noun (singular): pedal
Noun (plural): pedals
Verb (base): pedal
Verb (third-person singular): pedals
Verb (present participle): pedaling (US) or pedalling (UK)
Verb (past tense / past participle): pedaled (US) or pedalled (UK)
Adjective: pedal (This form does not change)
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
A lever or control operated by a person's foot to power or control a machine or musical instrument.
Common Uses: The gas pedal on a car, a bicycle pedal, the sustaining pedal on a piano, a pedal on a drum kit.
Synonyms: treadle, foot lever, foot switch
Verb
To operate or push pedals with the feet to propel a vehicle or control a machine.
Common Uses: To pedal a bicycle up a hill, to pedal faster, an organist pedaling to produce low notes.
Synonyms: cycle, ride, bike
Antonyms: coast, brake, stop, freewheel
Adjective
Relating to or involving the foot or feet.
Common Uses: A pedal pulse (the pulse felt on the top of the foot), pedal coverings, a pedal bike (a bicycle propelled by pedals, as opposed to a motorcycle).
Synonyms: foot, podiatric (medical)
Examples of Use
Here are several real-world examples of how "pedal" is used in different contexts.
In Books
As a verb (cycling): "He got on his bicycle and pedaled away, not looking back." (From The Giver by Lois Lowry)
As a noun (music): "She pressed the soft pedal, and the piano's notes became hushed and intimate."
In Newspapers & Online Publications
As a noun (automotive): "Federal safety regulators are investigating complaints that the brake pedal on the new hybrid model can feel unresponsive in certain conditions." (Adapted from Reuters reports)
As a verb (fitness/sports): "Participants in the charity spin-a-thon were encouraged to keep pedaling for the full three hours to raise money for the cause." (Adapted from The Boston Globe)
As a noun (music tech): "The guitarist's massive pedal board included a vintage fuzz pedal, a digital delay, and a loop pedal for building complex soundscapes on the fly." (Adapted from Guitar Player magazine)
In Entertainment
As a noun (film/TV dialogue): "When the light turns green, you put the pedal to the metal. Don't even think, just go." (Common trope in racing or heist films)
As a noun (music/TV): In the show Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, the host and guest often discuss the feel of a classic car's clutch or gas pedal.
In General Public Discourse
As a noun (instruction): "Remember, the pedal on the right is the gas, and the one on the left is the brake."
As a verb (recreation): "We rented one of those swan-shaped pedal boats and went around the lake."
As an idiom: "If we want to finish this project by Friday, we have to put the pedal to the metal." (Meaning: to go as fast as possible; to work quickly)
As an adjective: "He suffered a pedal fracture after dropping a heavy object on his foot." (Medical context)
10 Famous Quotes Using Pedal
"The pedal is the soul of the piano." (Frédéric Chopin)
"The right pedal is the 'loud' pedal, the left pedal is the 'soft' pedal, and the middle pedal is the 'make-a-sandwich' pedal." (Victor Borge)
"Every effect pedal I buy is because I feel like I'm missing a certain sound." (Annie Clark / St. Vincent)
"To me, it doesn't matter whether it's raining or the sun is shining or whatever: as long as I'm riding a bike, I know I'm the luckiest guy in the world... I'm free to pedal." (Mark Cavendish)
"The bicycle has a soul... You have to pedal." (Mario Cipollini)
"Go on and put the pedal to the metal." (Sammy Hagar, "Sammy Hagar")
"The clutch is the pedal that separates the men from the boys." (Common driving aphorism)
"A delay pedal is magic; it's a time machine." (Original)
"A bicycle can't stand on its own because it's two-tired, so you have to pedal." (Common pun)
"I've always been a pedal guy." (Johnny Hiland)
Etymology
The word pedal comes directly from the Latin word for "foot."
The root of the word is the Latin pes (which has the form pedis), meaning "foot." This root also gives us words like "pedestrian" (someone who travels on foot) and "pedicure" (care for the feet).
From pes, the Romans created the adjective pedalis, which meant "of the foot" or "relating to the foot."
This word traveled from Latin into Italian (pedale) and French (pédale), and then English adopted it in the early 1600s.
When "pedal" first appeared in English, it wasn't used for bicycles, as they didn't exist yet. Its first known use as a noun was to describe the foot-operated levers on a musical organ that the organist presses to play deep bass notes. The word was a perfect fit, as it was literally a device operated "of the foot."
The verb form—the action of "to pedal" a bike—only became common much later, in the late 1800s, after the invention of the modern bicycle.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Pedal
Here is a list of common phrases and idioms using the word "pedal" or its related concepts.
Put the pedal to the metal
Soft-pedal (an issue)
Back-pedal (on a statement)
Pedal power
Pedal boat
Pedal pushers (clothing)
Gas pedal
Brake pedal
Clutch pedal
Effects pedal (for a guitar)
Sustaining pedal (for a piano)
Floor it
Foot on the gas
A lead foot
Full throttle
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of pedal from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
