handbrake

IPA/ˈhændbreɪk/
IPA/ˈhændbreɪk/

handbrake — noun

  • handbrakesingular
  • handbrakesplural

1. a metal lever or handle inside a vehicle that the driver pulls up to stop the wh

1.nounB2
Definition

a metal lever or handle inside a vehicle that the driver pulls up to stop the wheels from turning, keeping the car in place when it is parked or stopped on a slope.

Example

Rachel pulled the handbrake up before getting out of the car on the hill.

collocation: pull + the handbrake

Make sure the handbrake is fully released before you try to drive away.

passive: handbrake + is released

Common collocations
  • pull the handbrake
  • release the handbrake
  • apply the handbrake
  • handbrake is on
  • handbrake is off
  • handbrake turn
Synonyms
  • parking brake

    the standard American English term for the same device

  • emergency brake

    used in American English; implies use in an urgent situation, though the same lever is often used for parking

Grammar Patterns

handbrake + verb (is on / is off)

pull / apply / release + the handbrake

Usage Note

In British English, the lever inside the car between the front seats is called the handbrake. American English uses parking brake or emergency brake. Do not confuse the handbrake with the footbrake (operated by the foot while driving).

Common Mistakes

I forgot to pull the handbrake when I parked on flat ground.
I forgot to pull the handbrake when I parked.
'pull the handbrake' is the natural collocation; you don't need to add 'on flat ground'.

Word family

  • handbrake turn
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Handbrake is the standard term in British English and Commonwealth countries for the lever-operated brake that holds a parked car in place. Parking brake is the dominant American English term for the same device — it emphasises the function of keeping the vehicle stationary when parked. Emergency brake (US) is a less precise label, as the same lever is sometimes pulled to stop the car if the main brakes fail, but its everyday use is for parking. In practice, all three refer to the same physical lever, and the choice of word mainly reflects regional preference rather than a difference in meaning. For example, a UK driving instructor would say 'put the handbrake on before you take your foot off the footbrake', while a US instructor would say 'set the parking brake before shifting into Park'.

handbrake ↗parking brakeemergency brake

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • handbrake turn
  • handbrake on/off

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle DutchEnglish

Handbrake is a compound word formed from 'hand' (from Old English 'hand') and 'brake' (from Middle Dutch 'braeke', meaning a braking device or tool). The term first appeared in the early 1900s as automobiles became common, referring to the manually operated brake lever that a driver pulls by hand, distinct from the foot-operated service brake.