unicycle

C2+ Topic:Transportation

US /ˈjunɪˌsaɪkəl/ UK /ˈjuːnɪsaɪkəl/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
a single-wheeled pedal-driven vehicle

The street performer juggled while riding a unicycle.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a single-wheeled... monocycle

Word family

Derived forms unicyclistunicycling

Related forms bicycle tricycle cycle

Simplified etymology

Unicycle was formed from uni-, “one,” and cycle, ultimately from Greek kuklos, “wheel.” It was first recorded in the United States in the 1860s.

Etymology

A modern coinage from Latin uni- ('one', from unus) + cycle, from Ancient Greek kyklos ('circle, wheel'), on the model of bicycle and tricycle.

unus Latin κύκλος Ancient Greek *kʷekʷlos Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Transportation

External links

# unicycle

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈjunɪˌsaɪkəl/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈjuːnɪsaɪkəl/

## Meanings
1. a single-wheeled pedal-driven vehicle

## Examples
- The street performer juggled while riding a unicycle.

## Synonyms
- monocycle

## Derived Forms
- unicyclist
- unicycling

## Related Forms
- bicycle
- tricycle
- cycle

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: unus
- Root: κύκλος
- Root: *kʷekʷlos
- Affix: uni- - one

## Etymology
A modern coinage from Latin uni- ('one', from unus) + cycle, from Ancient Greek kyklos ('circle, wheel'), on the model of bicycle and tricycle.

## AI Etymology
Unicycle is a modern coinage from Latin uni- ('one', from unus) + cycle, from Ancient Greek kyklos ('circle, wheel'), on the model of bicycle and tricycle. Important recorded forms include unus (Latin), κύκλος (Ancient Greek), and *kʷekʷlos (Proto-Indo-European). Morphologically, the word preserves a built structure whose named elements carry the historical sense into English. The modern sense continues the older lexical line without requiring a separate origin. In current use it covers a single-wheeled pedal-driven vehicle. The wider family includes derived forms such as unicyclist and unicycling and related words such as bicycle, tricycle, and cycle.

## Topics
- Transportation

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