bike

Signification (Anglais)

Noun

1. Clipping of bicycle.
2. Clipping of motorbike.
3. (slang) Ellipsis of village bike.

Verb

1. To ride a bike.
2. To travel by bike.
3. To transport by bicycle.

Concepts

vélo

bicyclette

moto

motocyclette

bécane

motocycle

faire du vélo

pute

petite reine

vélomoteur

roue

aller à bicyclette

aller à vélo

traînée

vélo bicyclette

alvéole

alvéole d’abeille

rayon de miel

rayon de ruche

Prononcé comme (IPA)

/baɪk/

Étymologie (Anglais)

From bicycle, by shortening, and possibly alteration. Attested from 1882.
One explanation for the pronunciation is that bicycle is parsed to bi(cy)c(le). An alternative explanation is that bicycle is shortened to bic(ycle), and the terminal [s] is converted to a [k] because there is an underlying underspecified [k]/[s] sound, which is softened to [s] in bicycle but retained as [k] in bike; compare the letter ‘c’ (used for [k]/[s]).