safety bicycle
- noun
- /ˈseɪfti ˈbaɪsɪkəl/
- Archaic
:
bicicleta de seguridad
- The invention of the safety bicycle revolutionized transportation by making cycling safer for everyone.
Examples
-
What came along in the 1880s was called the "safety bicycle"—we now call it the bicycle.
Blog text (11) -
Many people prefer the safety bicycle because it has two wheels of equal size, which helps with stability.
-
But back then, it was called the safety bicycle because it was this radical redesign that made the bicycle safe and accessible to everybody.
Blog text (11) -
The low-mount, diamond-framed safety bicycle had two wheels of equal size and a tubular steel frame.
Academic text (2012) -
In the late 1800s, the safety bicycle became popular due to its design, featuring a chain and gear mechanism.
Synonyms
950
1.0
A two-wheeled vehicle that you ride by pushing its pedals with your feet
A bicycle with two same-size wheels and a chain that turns the rear wheel
How Safe
- Archaic
- Archaic
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'safety' (protection from danger) modifies 'bicycle' (two-wheeled vehicle), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a bicycle designed to be safer. The modifier–head compound pattern is a regular and transparent English formation, so prior exposure is not required to understand the basic sense.
Etymology
Safety bicycle: The name safety bicycle comes from comparing it to the old big-front-wheel bike that often threw riders forward. With two equal wheels and a chain to the back wheel, the safety bicycle sat lower and felt steadier, so people called it 'safer' and the name stuck.