treadle

[ tred-l ]
See synonyms for treadle on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a lever or the like worked by continual action of the foot to impart motion to a machine.

  2. a platform, as on a bus or trolleycar, for opening an exit door.

verb (used without object),trea·dled, trea·dling.
  1. to work a treadle.

Origin of treadle

1
before 1000; Middle English tredel stairstep, Old English. See tread, -le

Other words from treadle

  • tread·ler [tred-ler], /ˈtrɛd lər/, noun

Words Nearby treadle

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use treadle in a sentence

  • All that is necessary is to leave an extension to the arm or heel of the treadle to catch over the jaw of the trap.

    Fifty Years a Hunter and Trapper | Eldred Nathaniel Woodcock

British Dictionary definitions for treadle

treadle

/ (ˈtrɛdəl) /


noun
    • a rocking lever operated by the foot to drive a machine

    • (as modifier): a treadle sewing machine

verb
  1. to work (a machine) with a treadle

Origin of treadle

1
Old English tredel, from trǣde something firm, from tredan to tread

Derived forms of treadle

  • treadler, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012