I. ˈped ə l noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle French pedale, from Italian, organ pedal, tree trunk, plant stem, from Latin pedalis of the foot
1. : a lever acted on by the foot in the playing of musical instruments: as
a.
(1) : any of the keys of an organ keyboard played upon with the feet ; broadly : pedal keyboard
(2) : a foot lever for drawing or shutting off one or more organ stops, for opening or shutting the swell box, or for coupling two keyboards
b. : one of the foot levers functioning as stops on a harpsichord
c.
(1) : any of the levers used to alter the quality of or to sustain the tone of a piano
(2) : any of the keys of a pedalier
d. : one of the seven foot levers by which the strings of a harp are stopped to raise their pitch either one or two half steps — see harp illustration
e. : a foot lever or treadle used to pump the bellows of a reed organ
f.
(1) : a foot lever used to change the pitch of a kettledrum quickly
(2) : a foot lever used to beat a bass drum in a jazz orchestra
2. : pedal point
3. : a foot lever or treadle by which a part is activated in a mechanism (as a bicycle, loom, or sewing machine) — see bicycle illustration, hydraulic brake illustration
4.
[Italian pedale ]
or pedal straw
a. : the light straw from the lower portion of wheat stalks
b. : a plait made of this straw and used especially for millinery
II. “, ˈpēd ə l adjective
Etymology: Latin pedalis, from ped-, pes foot + -alis -al — more at foot
1. : of or relating to the foot
2. : of, relating to, or involving a pedal
III. ˈped ə l verb
( pedaled also pedalled ; pedaled also pedalled ; pedaling also pedalling -d(ə)liŋ ; pedals )
Etymology: pedal (I)
intransitive verb
1. : to use or work a pedal (as of an organ, piano, or bicyle)
complimenting a pianist upon the accuracy of his … pedaling — Dudley Fitts
2. : to ride a bicycle : cycle 2
pedaled off … to summon a mason — Ida Treat
transitive verb
: to work the pedals of
pedaling a bicycle
pedals the garbage can — Herbert Gold