ordinary bicycle
- noun
- Archaic
:
bicicleta ordinaria
- The ordinary bicycle, with its large front wheel, was a common sight in the streets during the 1880s.
Examples
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Riding an ordinary bicycle can be a challenge due to its unique design, especially when navigating turns.
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Many collectors seek to restore an ordinary bicycle from the Victorian era to display in their museums.
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Penny Farthing known as an ordinary bicycle.
Synonyms
26
1.8
A two-wheeled vehicle you move by pedaling
1
9.9
An early vehicle you move with pedals that has two or three wheels
An old bicycle with a very large front wheel and a small rear wheel
How Safe
- Archaic
- Archaic
Surface Forms
Morphology
A B1 learner who knows 'ordinary' (meaning usual/normal) and 'bicycle' will most likely interpret this as a normal/standard bicycle and will not derive the historical penny‑farthing sense. The usage is a lexicalized, historically specific meaning of 'ordinary' (referring to the large‑front‑wheel bicycle) that is culturally bound and unpredictable from the constituents, so prior exposure is required.
Etymology
The noun ordinary bicycle names the old bike with a very large front wheel and a much smaller rear wheel that people rode in the late 1800s. One simple reason it was called 'ordinary' is that it was the usual design at the time, so the name stuck and now means that early high-front-wheel style of bicycle.