"freewheel" meaning in English

See freewheel in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Wodencafe-freewheel.wav [US] Forms: freewheels [plural]
Etymology: free + wheel Etymology templates: {{compound|en|free|wheel}} free + wheel Head templates: {{en-noun}} freewheel (plural freewheels)
  1. a device in a transmission that disengages the driveshaft from the driven shaft when the driven shaft rotates faster than the driveshaft. Translations (device): pinyó lliure [masculine] (Catalan), vrijloopnaaf [feminine, masculine] (Dutch), vapaaratas (Finnish), roue libre [feminine] (French), Freilauf [masculine] (German), 프리휠 (peurihwil) (Korean), wolnobieg [masculine] (Polish), обго́нная му́фта (obgónnaja múfta) [feminine] (Russian), му́фта свобо́дного хо́да (múfta svobódnovo xóda) [feminine] (Russian), bánh răng (Vietnamese)
    Sense id: en-freewheel-en-noun-YFcNfZ23

Verb

Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Wodencafe-freewheel.wav [US] Forms: freewheels [present, singular, third-person], freewheeling [participle, present], freewheeled [participle, past], freewheeled [past]
Etymology: free + wheel Etymology templates: {{compound|en|free|wheel}} free + wheel Head templates: {{en-verb}} freewheel (third-person singular simple present freewheels, present participle freewheeling, simple past and past participle freewheeled)
  1. (of a gear) To continue spinning after disengagement.
    Sense id: en-freewheel-en-verb-H6UffEBI
  2. (of a cyclist) To ride a bicycle without pedalling, e.g. downhill.
    Sense id: en-freewheel-en-verb-0nDhBCBB
  3. (of a motorist) To operate a motor vehicle which is coasting without power, e.g. downhill. Categories (topical): Mechanisms
    Sense id: en-freewheel-en-verb-6Q27qVPD Disambiguation of Mechanisms: 12 9 9 48 22 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English entries with language name categories using raw markup, English entries with topic categories using raw markup Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 16 6 4 53 22 Disambiguation of English entries with language name categories using raw markup: 14 8 5 54 19 Disambiguation of English entries with topic categories using raw markup: 10 7 4 65 13
  4. (by extension) To operate free from constraints. Tags: broadly
    Sense id: en-freewheel-en-verb-527lbkN5

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for freewheel meaning in English (5.7kB)

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "free",
        "3": "wheel"
      },
      "expansion": "free + wheel",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "free + wheel",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "freewheels",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "freewheel (plural freewheels)",
      "name": "en-noun"
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "a device in a transmission that disengages the driveshaft from the driven shaft when the driven shaft rotates faster than the driveshaft."
      ],
      "id": "en-freewheel-en-noun-YFcNfZ23",
      "links": [
        [
          "transmission",
          "transmission"
        ],
        [
          "disengage",
          "disengage"
        ],
        [
          "driveshaft",
          "driveshaft"
        ]
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "device",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "pinyó lliure"
        },
        {
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "device",
          "tags": [
            "feminine",
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "vrijloopnaaf"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "device",
          "word": "vapaaratas"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "device",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "roue libre"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "device",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Freilauf"
        },
        {
          "code": "ko",
          "lang": "Korean",
          "roman": "peurihwil",
          "sense": "device",
          "word": "프리휠"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "device",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "wolnobieg"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "obgónnaja múfta",
          "sense": "device",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "обго́нная му́фта"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "múfta svobódnovo xóda",
          "sense": "device",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "му́фта свобо́дного хо́да"
        },
        {
          "code": "vi",
          "lang": "Vietnamese",
          "sense": "device",
          "word": "bánh răng"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
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      "tags": [
        "US"
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      "text": "Audio (US)"
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      "name": "compound"
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  "etymology_text": "free + wheel",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "freewheels",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "freewheeling",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "freewheeled",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "freewheeled",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
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      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "To continue spinning after disengagement."
      ],
      "id": "en-freewheel-en-verb-H6UffEBI",
      "links": [
        [
          "spinning",
          "spinning"
        ],
        [
          "disengagement",
          "disengagement"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(of a gear) To continue spinning after disengagement."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of a gear"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1935, George Orwell, chapter 3, in A Clergyman’s Daughter",
          "text": "On her elderly bicycle with the basketwork carrier on the handle-bars, Dorothy free-wheeled down the hill, doing mental arithmetic with three pounds nineteen and fourpence--her entire stock of money until next quarter-day.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To ride a bicycle without pedalling, e.g. downhill."
      ],
      "id": "en-freewheel-en-verb-0nDhBCBB",
      "links": [
        [
          "bicycle",
          "bicycle"
        ],
        [
          "pedalling",
          "pedalling"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(of a cyclist) To ride a bicycle without pedalling, e.g. downhill."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of a cyclist"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "16 6 4 53 22",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
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          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "14 8 5 54 19",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
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          "source": "w+disamb"
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          "_dis": "10 7 4 65 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with topic categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
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          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "12 9 9 48 22",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Mechanisms",
          "orig": "en:Mechanisms",
          "parents": [
            "Machines",
            "Technology",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To operate a motor vehicle which is coasting without power, e.g. downhill."
      ],
      "id": "en-freewheel-en-verb-6Q27qVPD",
      "links": [
        [
          "motor vehicle",
          "motor vehicle"
        ],
        [
          "coast",
          "coast"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(of a motorist) To operate a motor vehicle which is coasting without power, e.g. downhill."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of a motorist"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "To operate free from constraints."
      ],
      "id": "en-freewheel-en-verb-527lbkN5",
      "links": [
        [
          "operate",
          "operate"
        ],
        [
          "constraint",
          "constraint"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(by extension) To operate free from constraints."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "broadly"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
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      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    }
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  "wikipedia": [
    "freewheel"
  ],
  "word": "freewheel"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English adjective-noun compound nouns",
    "English compound terms",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
    "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English verbs",
    "en:Mechanisms"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "free",
        "3": "wheel"
      },
      "expansion": "free + wheel",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "free + wheel",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "freewheels",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "freewheel (plural freewheels)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "a device in a transmission that disengages the driveshaft from the driven shaft when the driven shaft rotates faster than the driveshaft."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "transmission",
          "transmission"
        ],
        [
          "disengage",
          "disengage"
        ],
        [
          "driveshaft",
          "driveshaft"
        ]
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    }
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  "sounds": [
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      "tags": [
        "US"
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  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "device",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "pinyó lliure"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "device",
      "tags": [
        "feminine",
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "vrijloopnaaf"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "device",
      "word": "vapaaratas"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "device",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "roue libre"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "device",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Freilauf"
    },
    {
      "code": "ko",
      "lang": "Korean",
      "roman": "peurihwil",
      "sense": "device",
      "word": "프리휠"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "device",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "wolnobieg"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "obgónnaja múfta",
      "sense": "device",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "обго́нная му́фта"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "múfta svobódnovo xóda",
      "sense": "device",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "му́фта свобо́дного хо́да"
    },
    {
      "code": "vi",
      "lang": "Vietnamese",
      "sense": "device",
      "word": "bánh răng"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "freewheel"
  ],
  "word": "freewheel"
}

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    "English compound terms",
    "English countable nouns",
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    "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
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    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English verbs",
    "en:Mechanisms"
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        "3": "wheel"
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      "name": "compound"
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  ],
  "etymology_text": "free + wheel",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "freewheels",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "freewheeling",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "freewheeled",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
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  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "To continue spinning after disengagement."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "spinning",
          "spinning"
        ],
        [
          "disengagement",
          "disengagement"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(of a gear) To continue spinning after disengagement."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of a gear"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1935, George Orwell, chapter 3, in A Clergyman’s Daughter",
          "text": "On her elderly bicycle with the basketwork carrier on the handle-bars, Dorothy free-wheeled down the hill, doing mental arithmetic with three pounds nineteen and fourpence--her entire stock of money until next quarter-day.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To ride a bicycle without pedalling, e.g. downhill."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "bicycle",
          "bicycle"
        ],
        [
          "pedalling",
          "pedalling"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(of a cyclist) To ride a bicycle without pedalling, e.g. downhill."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of a cyclist"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "To operate a motor vehicle which is coasting without power, e.g. downhill."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "motor vehicle",
          "motor vehicle"
        ],
        [
          "coast",
          "coast"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(of a motorist) To operate a motor vehicle which is coasting without power, e.g. downhill."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of a motorist"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "To operate free from constraints."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "operate",
          "operate"
        ],
        [
          "constraint",
          "constraint"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(by extension) To operate free from constraints."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "broadly"
      ]
    }
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      "tags": [
        "US"
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      "text": "Audio (US)"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "freewheel"
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  "word": "freewheel"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-05 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.