monocycle

IPA/mˈɒnəʊsˌaɪkəl/
IPA/mˈɑːnoʊsˌaɪkəl/

monocycle — noun

1. a small vehicle with one wheel that a rider moves by pedaling while keeping bala

1.nounC1
Definition

a small vehicle with one wheel that a rider moves by pedaling while keeping balance

Example

The museum displayed a monocycle beside two early bicycles from the 1890s.

collocation: display a monocycle

In the old newspaper ad, the monocycle looked lighter than a horse cart.

Common collocations
  • ride a monocycle
  • balance on a monocycle
  • display a monocycle
  • wooden monocycle
Synonyms
  • unicycle

    the usual modern word for the same kind of vehicle

Grammar Patterns

usually singular

Usage Note

Rare in modern everyday English. Most speakers use unicycle instead, especially in ordinary conversation.

Common Mistakes

The monocycle had two wheels and a chain guard.
The monocycle had one wheel and a small seat.
A monocycle is a one-wheeled vehicle, so it does not refer to an ordinary bicycle.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Monocycle and unicycle both refer to a pedal vehicle with one wheel, but they are not equally common. In present-day everyday English, people almost always say unicycle when talking about learning to balance, a school club, or a circus act. Monocycle sounds older, rarer, and more specialist, so you may see it in museum labels, technical writing, or historical descriptions. Bicycle and tricycle are not synonyms, but they help show the wheel-number contrast. If a child joins a club, most speakers say 'She rides a unicycle.' If a curator describes an early machine, monocycle can sound more natural there.

monocycle ↗unicycle ↗bicycle ↗tricycle

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • ride a monocycle
  • balance on a monocycle
  • learn to ride a monocycle

Prepositions

  • on a monocycle

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

Monocycle was formed in English from mono-, a Greek-derived element meaning 'one', and cycle, a word that ultimately comes from Greek kyklos, meaning 'circle' or 'wheel'. The name was built to describe a vehicle with a single wheel, although unicycle later became the more usual everyday term.