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pushbike

(UK, Irish, Commonwealth, informal) A pedal bicycle, as distinguished from a motorized bicycle.

ˈpʊʃbaɪkDocumented since 1940s1940sSilenthistoricalCurrent114 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
🇬🇧 British & Irish slang
2 definitions
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Etymology timeline

Born ~1940 · 1 year of recorded use
1940Born2026: 1 citationToday, 2026

Definitions

UK
#1·Apr 27, 2026UK

(UK, Irish, Commonwealth, informal) A pedal bicycle, as distinguished from a motorized bicycle.

Origin: [[File:G. Ērenpreis gent bicycle, manufactured in 1940.png|thumb|A pushbike manufactured in 1940 by the G. Ērenpreis Bicycle Factory with a leather saddle and a dynamo mounted on one of the front forks]] The noun is derived from . The verb is derived from the noun. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents

"pushbike" means: A pedal bicycle, as distinguished from a motorized bicycle.. This is informal slang, common in casual speech, texting and social media, but not appropriate for school work, applications or professional settings. There is no real cause for concern in itself; it is everyday peer vocabulary. If your child uses it, a light comment about audience and register is usually enough — no need to escalate. Context, more than the word, tells you whether to follow up.

For ESL learners

"pushbike" means: A pedal bicycle, as distinguished from a motorized bicycle.. Register: informal slang, fine in casual conversation, texting and social media but not in academic essays, business writing or formal speech. Note the regional or dialect label (UK) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.

Heard in the wild
  • “Not that I'm particularly interested in cars or money.. I can't deny that if I could have a Daimler Dart I would.. but I always suspect I'd get one and then be looking for something else.. probably a pushbike given the current climate..”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
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UK
#2·Apr 27, 2026UK

(intransitive, Australia, NZ, UK, informal) To travel by pushbike.

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For specific readers

"pushbike" means: A pedal bicycle, as distinguished from a motorized bicycle.. This is informal slang, common in casual speech, texting and social media, but not appropriate for school work, applications or professional settings. There is no real cause for concern in itself; it is everyday peer vocabulary. If your child uses it, a light comment about audience and register is usually enough — no need to escalate. Context, more than the word, tells you whether to follow up.

Why is this section here?

Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.

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UK

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🇬🇧About British & Irish slang slang

UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.

See all British & Irish slang slang on Slangora.

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