bike

Meanings

Noun

• Short form of bicycle
• Short form of motorbike
• A hive of bees, or a nest of wasps, hornets, or ants.
• A crowd of people.

Verb

• To ride a bike.
• To travel by bike.
• To transport by bicycle

Related

Narrower meaning words

• cargo bike
• cross bike
• dirt bike
• fat bike, fatbike
• mountain bike
• pushbike
• road bike
• track bike
• utility bike

Origin

• From bicycle, by shortening, and possibly alteration. Attested from 1882.
• One explanation for the pronunciation is that bicycle is parsed to bi(cy)c(le). An alternative explanation is that bicycle is shortened to bic(ycle), and the terminal [s] is converted to a [k] because there is an underlying underspecified [k]/[s] sound, which is softened to [s] in bicycle but retained as [k] in bike; compare the letter ‘c’ (used for [k]/[s]).
• From Middle English bike, byke. Of Unknown origin. Perhaps a back-formation of Middle English *bykere, from Old English bēocere; or from Old English *bȳc a byform of Old English būc. Compare also Old Norse bý.