Tricycle
/ˈtraɪ.sɪ.kəl/noun
A vehicle with three wheels, typically powered by pedals.
Did you know?The second half comes from Greek kyklos, “circle” or “wheel,” the same ancient root behind words like cycle, cyclone, and even encyclopedic ideas of a “full circle” of knowledge.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
kyklos
“wheel, circle, ring”
Late Latin
Latin
tricyclum
“three-wheeled vehicle”
19th Century
English
tricycle
“a vehicle with three wheels”
Modern English
English
tricycle
“a three-wheeled vehicle, especially one powered by pedals”