wheel /(h)wēl/

1. A circular frame turning on an axle
2. A steering-wheel
3. A potter's wheel
4. A spinning-wheel
5. An old instrument of torture
6. A rotating firework
7. A bicycle or tricycle (informal)
8. (in pl) personal transport (informal)
9. The wheel by which a spit is turned (Shakespeare)
10. The wheel attributed to Fortune personified, the emblem of mutability
11. Hence, the course of events
12. A celestial sphere (obsolete)
13. A disc
14. A circular design
15. A circular motion
16. (in pl) the parts of a machine
17. The intricate workings of something
18. One or more short lines following a bob at the end of a stanza
19. A refrain
20. A dollar (slang)

1. To cause (a body of troops) to turn or revolve, esp round an axis or pivot
2. To cause to move in a circular course
3. To put a wheel or wheels on
4. To form or treat on the wheel
5. To convey on wheels
6. To propel on wheels
7. To encircle (Milton)
8. To make wheel-shaped (rare)
9. (with out, forward, etc; informal) to bring out, forward, etc, to produce

1. To turn round or on an axis
2. To change direction
3. To change one's mind abruptly
4. To move in a circle
5. To reel, be giddy
6. To roll forward
7. To wander, roam (Shakespeare)
8. To travel in a wheeled vehicle
9. To ride a bicycle or tricycle (informal)
10. To be provided with wheels on which to be propelled

wheeled adjective

1. Having wheels
2. Moving on wheels
3. (in combination) having a specified kind or number of wheels, as in solid-wheeled, three-wheeled
4. Formed into a wheel (rare)

wheelˈer noun

1. Someone who wheels
2. A cyclist (informal)
3. A maker of wheels (dialect)
4. (in combination) something that wheels, or that has a specified kind or number of wheels, as in two-wheeler
5. A wheelhorse

wheelˈie noun (informal)

1. A manoeuvre, eg on a bicycle, motorbike or skateboard, involving travelling for a short distance with the front wheel or wheels off the ground
2. A U-turn accomplished at speed with a loud skidding noise (Aust)
3. A wheelie bin (informal)

wheelˈing noun

1. The act of moving or conveying on wheels
2. A turning or circular movement
3. A rather coarse woollen yarn

wheelˈ-less adjective

wheelˈy adjective

Like a wheel

wheel and axle noun

One of the mechanical powers, in its primitive form a cylindrical axle, on which a wheel, concentric with the axle, is firmly fastened, the power being applied to the wheel, and the weight attached to the axle

wheel animal or wheel animalcule noun

A tiny aquatic animal, a rotifer

wheelˈbarrow noun

1. A barrow with one wheel in front and two handles and legs behind
2. (loosely) any other handcart

wheelˈbase noun

1. The distance between the front and rear axles of a vehicle
2. The area enclosed by lines joining the points at which the wheels of a locomotive, etc touch the rails or the ground, or the length of this area

wheel brace noun

An implement for tightening and loosening the nuts that hold a wheel in position

wheel carriage noun

Any kind of carriage moved on wheels

wheelˈchair noun

A chair moving on wheels, esp a disabled person's chair

adjective

Provided, designed, adapted or arranged for people confined to wheelchairs, as wheelchair housing, wheelchair Olympics, etc

wheel clamp noun

A device used by traffic authorities, etc to immobilize an illegally parked vehicle until it is removed after payment of a fine

wheelˈ-clamp transitive verb

wheelˈ-cut adjective

(of glass) cut, or ground and polished, on a wheel

wheelˈ-cutter noun

A machine for cutting teeth on wheels

wheelˈer-dealˈer noun

wheelˈer-dealˈing noun (informal; orig US)

Shrewd dealing or bargaining to one's maximum advantage in business, politics, etc, esp without regard for others' interests

wheelˈhorse noun

One of the horses next to the wheels in a team

wheelˈhouse noun

1. A shelter in which a ship's steering-wheel is placed
2. A paddle box
3. A prehistoric wheel-shaped dwelling

wheelie bin noun

A large dustbin on wheels

wheel lock noun (historical)

(a gun having) a lock in which sparks are struck off a flint by a small steel wheel

wheelˈman noun

1. A steersman (also wheelsˈman)
2. A cyclist

wheel of fortune noun

1. Fortune's wheel (see n above)
2. A gambling device

wheel of life noun

An optical toy giving an illusion of animation, a zoetrope

wheel plough noun

A plough running on wheels, or one the depth of whose furrow is regulated by a wheel

wheel race noun

The part of a channel in which the water wheel is fixed

wheel spin noun

Rotation of the wheels of a vehicle without the purchase required for forward or backward movement

wheel window noun

A circular window with radiating tracery, a rose window

wheelˈwork noun

A combination of wheels and their connection in machinery

wheelˈwright noun

A maker of wheels and wheeled carriages

at the wheel

Driving a vehicle or steering a boat

big wheel

1. A Ferris wheel
2. A person of importance or self-importance

break a butterfly (or fly, etc) on the wheel

1. To inflict a punishment out of all proportion to the offence
2. To employ great exertions for insignificant ends

go on wheels

To move swiftly, smoothly, and hence pleasantly

left (or right) wheel

(a command to perform) a swing to the left (or right)

put a spoke in someone's wheel see under spoke²

put one's shoulder to the wheel see under shoulder

take the wheel

To take charge or control

• a'where
• awhile
• a widow bewitched
• a will of one's own
• a-wing
• awing
• awk
• AWK
• awks
• awkward
• awkwarder
• awkwardest
• awkwardish
• awkwardly
• awkwardness
• awkwardnesses
• awkward squad
• awl
• awlbird
• awlbirds
• awls
• awmous
• awmrie
• awmries
• awmry