treadle

English

A tailor in Chad with a treadle sewing machine

Parts of a spinning wheel - G: treadle

Etymology

From Middle English tredel, from Old English tredel; equivalent to tread +‎ -le.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɹɛdl̩/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛdəl

Noun

treadle (plural treadles)

1. A foot-operated pedal or lever that generates motion.
   • 1960 March, G. Freeman Allen, “Europe's most luxurious express - the "Settebello"”, in Trains Illustrated, page 141:

     There is an inconspicuous treadle let into the floor and when you step on it an air-operated door-opening mechanism is automatically activated; [...].

2. A device actuated by wheels passing over it.
   • 1962 July, “Talking of Trains: Automatic car park at Harlow”, in Modern Railways, pages 11–12:

     As a car enters the parking area the front wheels pass over a treadle, causing a timber barrier to lift and allow the motorist to drive in and park. No money is required at this stage. As the car passes over a second treadle, just beyond the entrance, the barrier falls again.

3. (biology) Chalaza.

Translations

pedal or lever

• Bulgarian: педал m (pedal), крачна предавка f (kračna predavka)
• Estonian: tallalaud, tald (et)
• Finnish: poljin (fi)
• German: Fußhebel m
• Ido: pedalo (io)
• Irish: deil choise f
• Italian: pedale (it) m
• Latin: insilia n pl
• Polish: pedał (pl) m, człapień m
• Russian: педа́ль (ru) f (pedálʹ)
• Spanish: pedal (es) m

Verb

treadle (third-person singular simple present treadles, present participle treadling, simple past and past participle treadled)

1. (intransitive) To use a treadle.

Translations

to use a treadle

• Estonian: taldama
• Finnish: polkea (fi)

Anagrams

• Aldrete, alerted, altered, redealt, related