coaster brake
- noun
- /ˈkoʊstər breɪk/
- Specialized
- The bike has a coaster brake, allowing my child to stop by pedaling backward.
- coaster brake and training wheels
Examples
-
You need to use a rear coaster brake, but only if you utilize a front drive kit, and you must also have a front hand brake.
Blog text (26) -
With the coaster brake, you can stop the bike simply by reversing your pedaling motion.
-
My younger sister had a pink Huffy 'Sweet Thunder' bike with coaster brakes.
Blog text (25) -
They tended to be single-speed coaster brakes—clunkers—but they were reliable.
Blog text (11) -
Coaster brakes are commonly found on coaster brake bicycles, making them easy to use.
Synonyms
A part that makes a vehicle slow down or stop when you press it
How Strong
Surface Forms
Morphology
coaster + brake
The constituent 'brake' clearly signals a stopping device, so learners will expect some kind of brake; however 'coaster' is ambiguous (commonly means a cup mat or relates to 'coast') and does not transparently indicate the specific mechanism of pedaling backward. The exact sense — a hub brake engaged by backpedaling — is specialized and not predictable from the parts, so partial cues exist but full meaning requires exposure.
Etymology
The noun coaster brake comes from early bicycles where the rear wheel let you coast (roll without pedaling) and you could brake by turning the pedals backward. Imagine rolling forward and then gently pedaling back to lock the wheel, so a coaster brake is a brake you use by pedaling backward to 'stop'.