freewheel
noun, verb
Forms freewheels freewheeling freewheeled free wheel
- noun A device in a transmission that disengages the driveshaft from the driven shaft when the driven shaft rotates faster than the driveshaft.
- noun The mode or state of operation thus produced: Synonym of neutral.
- verb (engineering, mechanics, intransitive) Of a gear, to continue spinning after disengagement.
- verb (cycling, intransitive) Of a cyclist, to ride a bicycle without pedalling, e.g. downhill.
- verb (automotive) Of a motorist, to operate a motor vehicle which is coasting without power, e.g. downhill.
- verb (figuratively, by extension) To operate free from constraints.
Synonyms
Etymology
From free + wheel.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A clutch fitted in the rear hub of a cycle, which engages the rear sprocket with the rear wheel when the pedals are rotated forwards, but permits the rear wheel to run on free from the rear sprocket when the pedals are stopped or rotated backwards.
- verb To operate like a freewheel, so that one part moves freely over another which normally moves with it; --said of a clutch.
- verb A will free from improper coercion or restraint.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “freewheel”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details