- a mechanism attached to the rear hub of a bicycle, that permits the wheel to go on turning when the cyclist stops pedaling
- in some automobiles, helicopters, etc., a device that permits the speed of the drive shaft or rotor to exceed that of the engine shaft, thus producing greater speeds with no increase in power
freewheel
free·wheelWebster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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"freewheel." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 18 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/freewheel>.
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freewheel. (n.d.). Retrieved December 18th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/freewheel
freewheel
noun
also free wheel- A power-transmission device that allows the drive shaft of a motor vehicle to continue turning when its speed is greater than that of the engine shaft.
- A clutch in the rear-wheel hub of a bicycle that permits the wheel to turn without pedal action, as in coasting.
intransitive verb
free·wheeled, free·wheel·ing, free·wheels- To continue turning or spinning after disengagement from the drive mechanism.
- To live or move freely and sometimes aimlessly or irresponsibly.
- To operate independently or free of restraints.
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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MLA Style
"freewheel." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 18 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/freewheel>.
APA Style
freewheel. (n.d.). Retrieved December 18th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/freewheel
Noun
(plural freewheels)
- a device in a transmission that disengages the driveshaft from the driven shaft when the driven shaft rotates faster than the driveshaft.
Verb
(third-person singular simple present freewheels, present participle freewheeling, simple past and past participle freewheeled)
- (of a gear) To continue spinning after disengagement.
- (of a cyclist) To ride a bicycle without pedalling, e.g. downhill.
- (of a motorist) To operate a motor vehicle which is coasting without power, e.g. downhill.
- (by extension) To operate free from constraints.
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
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MLA Style
"freewheel." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 18 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/freewheel>.
APA Style
freewheel. (n.d.). Retrieved December 18th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/freewheel
