wheel
/ˈwiːl/ noun, verb
- noun A circular device capable of rotating on its axis, facilitating movement or transportation or performing labour in machines.
- noun (informal, with "the") A steering wheel and its implied control of a vehicle. “He fell asleep at the wheel.”
- noun (nautical) The instrument attached to the rudder by which a vessel is steered.
- noun A spinning wheel.
- noun A potter's wheel.
- noun The breaking wheel, an old instrument of torture.
- noun (slang) A person with a great deal of power or influence; a big wheel.
- noun (computing, dated) A superuser on certain systems.
- verb (transitive) To roll along on wheels. “Wheel that trolley over here, would you?”
- verb (transitive) To transport something or someone using any wheeled mechanism, such as a wheelchair. “The patient was wheeled out of the ER.”
- verb (intransitive, dated) To ride a bicycle or tricycle.
- verb (intransitive) To make a circular movement. “My arms wheeled frantically in the air as I tried to signal for help.”
- verb (intransitive) To move smoothly and easily, as if on wheels. “I wheeled through the gathering, making all my appointed stops.”
- verb (intransitive) To change direction quickly, turn, pivot, whirl, wheel around.
- verb (transitive) To cause to change direction quickly, turn.
- verb (intransitive) To travel around in large circles, particularly in the air. “The vulture wheeled above us.”
Synonyms
breaking wheel cartwheel tosheroon rim steering wheel roulette wheel rack bicycle bike cycle wheel around roll pedal
Etymology
From Middle English whel, from Old English hwēol, from Proto-West Germanic *hwehwl, from Proto-Germanic *hwehwlą, *hweulō, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷekʷlóm, *kʷékʷlos, *kʷékʷléh₂, reduplication of *kʷel- (“to turn”) and a suffix (literally "(the thing that) turns and turns"). See also West Frisian tsjil, Dutch wiel, Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish hjul; also Tocharian B kokale (“cart, wagon”), Ancient Greek κύκλος (kúklos, “cycle, wheel”), Avestan 𐬗𐬀𐬑𐬭𐬀 (caxra), Sanskrit चक्र (cakrá); and Latin colō (“to till, cultivate”), Tocharian A and Tocharian B käl- (“to bear; bring”), Ancient Greek πέλω (pélō, “to come into existence, become”), Old Church Slavonic коло (kolo, “wheel”), Albanian sjell (“to bring, carry, turn around”), Avestan 𐬗𐬀𐬭𐬀𐬌𐬙𐬌 (caraⁱti, “it circulates”), Sanskrit चरति (cárati, “it moves, wanders”). Doublet of chakra, chakram, charkha, chukker, cycle, cyclus, and kike.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A circular frame turning about an axis; a rotating disk, whether solid, or a frame composed of an outer rim, spokes or radii, and a central hub or nave, in which is inserted the axle, --used for supporting and conveying vehicles, in machinery, and for various purposes; as, the wheel of a wagon, of a locomotive, of a mill, of a watch, etc. The gasping charioteer beneath the wheel Of his own car. Dryden.
- noun Any instrument having the form of, or chiefly consisting of, a wheel. Specifically: -- (a) A spinning wheel. See under Spinning.
- verb To convey on wheels, or in a wheeled vehicle; as, to wheel a load of hay or wood.
- verb To put into a rotatory motion; to cause to turn or revolve; to cause to gyrate; to make or perform in a circle. "The beetle wheels her droning flight." Gray.
Etymology [OE. wheel, hweol, AS. hweól, hweogul, hweowol; akin to D. wiel, Icel. hvel, Gr. cakra; cf. Icel. hjol, Dan. hiul, Sw. hjul. *218 Cf. Cycle, Cyclopedia.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “wheel”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details