Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
wheel spoke

wheel spoke

3.6
A thin metal or wooden bar that connects the center of a wheel to its outer edge
  • noun
translation icon : radio
  • Each wheel spoke is crucial for maintaining the strength and balance of the wheel.

Examples

  • During the repair, he noticed that the wheel spokes were rusted and needed to be replaced.

  • The price, on the other hand, is a more interesting USP, even though the combination of solid wheel spokes and a non-cushioned seat seems particularly uncomfortable...

    Blog text (1)

  • The mechanic replaced the broken wheel spoke to ensure the bicycle was safe to ride.

Synonyms

spoke
vswheel spoke
15 3.0

A thin bar that connects the center of a wheel to its outer edge to support it

is the same meaning but uses the fuller phrase including wheel
radius
vswheel spoke
  • Archaic
3 4.1

A bar that goes from the hub of a wheel to its rim

focuses on providing structural support rather than only its extension

Surface Forms

wheel spoke singular
wheel spokes plural

Morphology

wheel + spoke

The meaning is directly and transparently derived from combining 'wheel' (a round rotating object) with 'spoke' (a rod supporting a wheel rim); the compound names exactly the part described. This literal, compositional pattern is common cross-linguistically and would be immediately understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Wheel spoke comes from the simple picture of thin rods that run from the wheel's center out to its rim. Long ago, spoke meant a small stick or branch used in wheel making, so a wheel spoke is a stick or rod that helps 'support' the wheel.