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Glite Dictionary
🙅 A troublemaker 🚲 A gear device
derailer

derailer

7.9
A device that makes a train leave the tracks or moves a bicycle chain to change gears
  • noun
  • /dɪˈreɪlər/
translation icon : desviador
  • The bicycle's chain slipped off the derailer during the ride, making it difficult to change gears.

Examples

  • Yeah, it came off the front derailer and the chain actually chipped through the bash guard, which is a great sign of integrity.

  • When the train hit the spikes, the derailer activated and sent it off the tracks safely.

  • The mechanic fixed the derailer to ensure the bike's chain would shift smoothly between gears.

Synonyms

shifter
vsderailer
  • Specialized
8 6.5

A lever that changes gears in a car or bike

includes bicycle chain gear change and also a train safety device
derailleur
vsderailer
  • Specialized
5 7.2

A bicycle part that moves the chain between gears to change speed

also means a device that makes a train leave the tracks

Antonyms

stabilizer
  • US
7 4.1

A device or material that keeps something steady, for example a tripod

Surface Forms

derailer singular
derailers plural

Morphology

derailer = derail (semi-transparent) = de + rail + er

As 'derailer' means a thing that derails, the train-related reading is clear, but the bicycle-gear device sense is more specialized and less directly guessable for many learners.

Etymology

Derailer comes from de- 'off' and rail 'track'. A derailer is a device that makes something go 'off the track' — it can force a train off its rails or move a bike chain from one gear to another, so the name tells what it does.