freewheel

English

Etymology

From free +‎ wheel.

Pronunciation

• Audio (US):

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Noun

freewheel (plural freewheels)

1. A device in a transmission that disengages the driveshaft from the driven shaft when the driven shaft rotates faster than the driveshaft.
2. The mode or state of operation thus produced: Synonym of neutral.

Translations

device

• Catalan: pinyó lliure m
• Dutch: vrijloopnaaf m or f
• Finnish: vapaaratas
• French: roue libre (fr) f
• German: Freilauf (de) m
• Korean: 프리휠 (peurihwil)
• Polish: wolnobieg m
• Russian: обго́нная му́фта f (obgónnaja múfta), му́фта свобо́дного хо́да f (múfta svobódnovo xóda)
• Spanish: piñón libre m, embrague rebasante m
• Vietnamese: bánh răng (vi)

Verb

freewheel (third-person singular simple present freewheels, present participle freewheeling, simple past and past participle freewheeled)

1. (of a gear) To continue spinning after disengagement.
2. (of a cyclist) To ride a bicycle without pedalling, e.g. downhill.
   • 1935, George Orwell, chapter 3, in A Clergyman’s Daughter‎^[1]:

     On her elderly bicycle with the basketwork carrier on the handle-bars, Dorothy free-wheeled down the hill, doing mental arithmetic with three pounds nineteen and fourpence--her entire stock of money until next quarter-day.

3. (of a motorist) To operate a motor vehicle which is coasting without power, e.g. downhill.
4. (by extension) To operate free from constraints.

See also

• neutral
• overdrive