cycle-car

A small three-wheeled cycle-car drives along a country road.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A small three-wheeled motor vehicle: "cycle-car" refers to a lightweight, early type of automobile, typically with three wheels, often powered by a motorcycle engine or chain drive, designed for economical transportation. This term is largely historical, used particularly in the early 20th century.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • He drove a vintage cycle-car to the vintage car show. (A small three-wheeled vehicle.)
  • Cycle-cars were popular in the 1910s and 1920s as affordable alternatives to larger automobiles. (Historical context of the vehicle.)

Advanced Usage

• "cycle-car" as a historical term: The word is rarely used in modern contexts, except in discussions of automotive history or among collectors of antique vehicles.
  • The museum’s collection includes a rare cycle-car from 1922. (A specific historical vehicle.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cyclecar (n): an alternative spelling, often used interchangeably with "cycle-car."

  • He restored a cyclecar with a two-cylinder engine. (Same meaning, different spelling.)

• Cycle (n): a bicycle or motorcycle, often used as a root in compound words.

  • The cycle-car combines aspects of a cycle and a car. (Referring to the vehicle’s hybrid nature.)

Synonyms

• Three-wheeler: a vehicle with three wheels, which may include cycle-cars, but also modern tricycles or trikes.
• Voiturette: a term for a small, lightweight car, sometimes used synonymously with cycle-car in early automotive history.

Related Idioms

• No common idioms: "cycle-car" is a technical term and does not appear in idiomatic expressions.

Phrasal Verbs

• No phrasal verbs: The word "cycle-car" is a noun and does not form phrasal verbs.