derailleur

(də rālər)

noun

a gear-shifting mechanism on a bicycle for controlling its speed by shifting the sprocket chain from one to another of a set of different-sized sprocket wheels

Origin: Fr dérailleur, derailer, with reference to the “derailing” of the chain from the sprocket

See derailleur in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun
A device for shifting gears on a bicycle by moving the chain between sprocket wheels of different sizes.

Origin:

Origin: French dérailleur

Origin: , from dérailler, to derail; see derail

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