From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishpedalped‧al1 /ˈpedl/ ●●○ noun [countable] 1 (also bicycle pedal)TTB one of the two parts of a bicycle that you push round with your feet to make the bicycle go forward2 TTCTIa part in a car or on a machine that you press with your foot to control it She put her foot down on the accelerator pedal.3 APMa part on a piano or organ that you press with your foot to change the quality of the sound4 → put/press/push the pedal to the metal
Examples from the Corpus
pedal• I mean, look at what Hendrix had for pedals - just a Fuzz Face and a great big stack of Marshalls.• the gas pedal• Gas pedal to the floor, we backed up with the engine whining and the chassis shaking.• I don't use any effects, no pedals, nothing.• It is compulsory to insure motorbikes but not pedal cycles, although insurance is available.• I glanced over at Kip again and saw him wince when he weighed down on the pedal with his hurt foot.• They moved in sequence like the keys on an antique pianola when the pedals are operated.• But when I first drilled that hand-made aluminium throttle pedal down to its bump stop, I was absolutely stunned.pedalpedal2 verb (pedalled, pedalling British English, pedaled, pedaling American English) [intransitive, transitive] 1 [always + adverb/preposition]TTB to ride a bicycle → cycle, ridepedal up/along/down etc Andrew pedalled up the road towards the town centre.2 TTBTIto turn or push the pedals on a bicycle or other machine with your feet She was pedalling furiously (=very fast).→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
pedal• Tim got on his bike and pedaled around town.• The postman was pedalling back towards them down the road.• Father Luke pedalled backwards in the direction of Whitechapel's parish church and fell over the barrow.• He soothes and steadies while she, protected by his arms, pedals clumsily at first, then confidently.• The physical sessions included warming-up, periods pedalling on an exercise cycle, free-standing exercises, stretching and relaxation.• Replacing the bowls, they pedalled on down the steep hill and up the next.• She pedals quickly down the walkway.• During the class the women pedal the equivalent of 12-22 miles.pedal up/along/down etc• As is traditional, the teams pedalled up and down the Champs after the presentations.• It's easy to look at your child harmlessly pedalling along on his trike without noticing he's heading towards moving swings.• He pedalled along the canal bank quite slowly, keeping his eyes skinned for signs of defunct animal life.• Miss Danziger turned off and pedalled along the line of the cliff top.• One of the birds shat on Gravel as I pedalled up the path to town on the Tuesday morning.• The morning was grey and drizzly and Henry skidded a couple of times as he pedalled along the towpath.• So I pedalled up the Via San Pietro.• But when I first drilled that hand-made aluminium throttle pedal down to its bump stop, I was absolutely stunned.pedalling furiously• He was last seen pedalling furiously away from the Midland Bank in Chiswick, west London.• All the way home, pedalling furiously, she had been nerving herself for this confrontation.Origin pedal1 (1600-1700) French pedale, from Italian, from Latin pedalis “of the foot” 