penny farthing

See also: penny-farthing

English

WOTD – 15 January 2012

Etymology

A reference to the relative sizes of the two wheels resembling that of the old British coins of the same name. Retronym for ordinary bicycle, coined after the invention of the safety bicycle that has since become the standard type of bicycle.

Pronunciation

  • Audio (General Australian):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)ðɪŋ

Noun

penny farthing (plural penny farthings)

  1. A type of bicycle popular in the 19th century, with the front wheel far larger than the rear one.

Synonyms

Translations

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