Meaning & use
unicycle
Last updated
UK/ˈjuːnɪsaɪkl/
US/ˈjuːnɪsaɪkl/
Meaning
nouncountable
A vehicle with a single wheel, propelled by pedals and balanced by the rider.
Grammar: Countable: a unicycle, two unicycles.
Patterns
- ride a unicycle
- on a unicycle
He learned to ride a unicycle at circus school.
She balanced on the unicycle while juggling.
The clown pedaled a bright red unicycle around the ring.
Word forms
| plural | unicycles |
|---|
Common combinations
- ride a unicycle
- It takes practice to ride a unicycle.
- on a unicycle
- He delivered the package on a unicycle.
- unicycle race
- She won the unicycle race at the festival.
- learn to ride a unicycle
- My brother is learning to ride a unicycle.
Synonyms and how they differ
- monocycle
- A rare, more technical term for the same vehicle; unicycle is the usual word.
Opposites
Word family
- unicyclist noun
- A person who rides a unicycle.
Commonly confused: unicycle or bicycle? unicycle or tricycle?
unicycle vs bicycle
A bicycle has two wheels; a unicycle has one.
unicycle vs tricycle
A tricycle has three wheels, often for small children.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
Option 0 is correct because a unicycle has one wheel. Option 1 wrongly adds 'two wheels'; options 2 and 3 confuse unicycle with bicycle and tricycle.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “unicycle”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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