bike
gb/bˈaɪk/ us/bˈaɪk/
A1
English
~ 3200
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
entity
1
A bicycle
A vehicle with two wheels that you move by using your feet on pedals.
Usage pattern:
to ride [a bike]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'bike' with 'motorbike', which is powered by an engine, not pedals.
Synonyms
bicycle (More formal or complete term; 'bike' is the informal, shortened form.)
Antonyms
car (A motor vehicle, contrasting with a pedal-powered bike.)
Collocations
ride a bike
|mountain bike
|bike ride
|bike path
|bike helmet
Themes
daily life
|transportation
|sports
|travel
|daily_life
Examples
- She rides her bike to work every day.
- I bought a new mountain bike last weekend.
- The city built a new bike lane along the river.
- He fixed the chain on his bike.
- We went for a long bike ride in the countryside.
Learner examples
- I can ride my bike to school.
- This is my new bike.
- He is on his bike.
- We go by bike to the park.
- She likes her red bike.
Noun
informal
A2
entity
2
A motorcycle
A two-wheeled vehicle with an engine.
Usage pattern:
to ride [a bike]
Common mistake:
Some learners think 'bike' always means 'bicycle', but in informal speech it can also mean 'motorcycle'. Context is important.
Synonyms
motorcycle (More formal and specific term for a motor-powered two-wheeled vehicle.)
Antonyms
bicycle (A pedal-powered two-wheeled vehicle, contrasting with an engine-powered bike.)
Collocations
ride a bike
|bike helmet
|bike trip
Themes
transportation
|daily life
|travel
|daily_life
Examples
- He bought a new bike to commute to work faster.
- She loves the feeling of freedom when riding her bike on the open road.
- Bike parking is available near the station.
- The gang of bikers rode their bikes through town.
- He learned to ride a bike when he was sixteen.
Learner examples
- He has a big black bike.
- My uncle rides a bike to work.
- I see many bikes on the road.
- She sits on the back of the bike.
- This bike is very fast.
Verb
informal
A2
action
3
To travel by bike
To go somewhere on a bicycle or motorcycle.
Usage pattern:
to bike [somewhere]
Common mistake:
Learners may forget that 'bike' as a verb needs no preposition before the destination (e.g., 'I biked to school', not 'I biked at school').
Synonyms
cycle ('Cycle' is slightly more formal and usually refers specifically to bicycles.)
Antonyms
walk (To travel on foot instead of using a bike.)
Collocations
bike to work
|bike home
|bike across town
Themes
daily life
|transportation
|travel
|daily_life
Examples
- We decided to bike to the beach instead of driving.
- She bikes to school every morning.
- They biked around the city all afternoon.
- He biked over to my house to drop off the package.
- I like to bike in the park on weekends.
Learner examples
- I bike to school every day.
- We will bike to the shop.
- She bikes with her friends.
- He bikes in the park.
- They bike to work together.
Grammar
Dictionary form
bike
IPA
GB/bˈaɪk/
US/bˈaɪk/
Syllables & stress
bike (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (bike)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: bike
- Plural: bikes
Verb
- Base: bike
- 3rd Person Singular: bikes
- Present Participle: biking
- Past: biked
Word family
Expressions
bike lane
1/bˈaɪk lˈeɪn/
fixed phrase
Road section for bikes only
Part of a road only for bicycles or motorcycles.
Examples
- The city added more bike lanes downtown.
- Cyclists should stay in the bike lane for safety.
bike path
1/bˈaɪk pˈæθ/
fixed phrase
Path for bikes away from roads
A path made only for bicycles or motorcycles, not cars.
Examples
- We took the scenic bike path along the river.
- The park has several safe bike paths.
bike ride
1/bˈaɪk ɹˈaɪd/
fixed phrase
Journey on a bike
A trip taken on a bicycle or motorcycle.
Examples
- We went for a long bike ride in the mountains.
- She invited me on a short bike ride around town.
by bike
1/bˈaɪ bˈaɪk/
fixed phrase
Using a bike for travel
Traveling using a bicycle or motorcycle.
Examples
- I usually go to work by bike.
- They explored the island by bike.
mountain bike
1/mˈaʊntən bˈaɪk/
fixed phrase
Bicycle for rough terrain
A bicycle made for riding on rough ground, not roads.
Examples
- He bought a new mountain bike for the trail race.
- Mountain bikes have strong frames and thick tires.