treadle
2
9.3
- noun
- /ˈtrɛdəl/
- Specialized
:
pedal
- When I threaded my old treadle Singer sewing machine for my 4-H class, I felt the same thrill of competence, of secrets mastered.
- treadle loom
Examples
-
Nanay also took in sewing, spending the morning hours at her treadle machine while the light was good.
Fiction book (2000) -
Her first proud purchase was a Singer treadle sewing machine.
Fiction book (1992) -
The sewing machine was still set up, the old-fashioned treadle kind her mother preferred.
Fiction book (1990) -
Long after I had gone to bed that night, I was awakened by the muffled rat-a-tat-tatting of my mother's treadle sewing machine.
Fiction book (1997) -
Treadle-loom weaving was introduced during the eighth century, although the varieties of treadle loom used in Tunisian towns such as Mahdia probably did not become widespread until the period of Ottoman influence from the sixteenth century onwards.
Academic text (2004) -
She learned to sew using the old Singer treadle sewing machine her grandmother gave her.
-
The antique shop had several beautiful treadle machines that reminded visitors of times past.
-
With each step she took on the treadle, the sewing machine whirred to life, producing smooth stitches.
Synonyms
91
1.8
A lever you press with your foot to control a machine like a car or bike
2
3.2
A thing you press with your foot to control a machine like a car or sewing machine
A device you move with your foot to control a machine
How Powerful
- Specialized
10
3.5
2
3.5
- Archaic
- Specialized
2
9.3
22
4.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Treadle comes from the old word tread meaning 'to step' or 'press with the foot', plus an ending that makes it a small tool. That's why a treadle is a foot lever you step on to drive a machine.