Ferris wheel

[ fer-is ]
/ ˈfɛr ɪs /

noun

an amusement ride consisting of a large upright wheel rotating on a fixed stand and having seats around its rim suspended freely so that they remain right side up as they revolve.

Origin of Ferris wheel

1890–95; named after G. W. G. Ferris (died 1896), American engineer

Example sentences from the Web for ferris wheel

  • After that we came to the place where Daredevil Dennell used to go up in a balloon and just beyond there is the ferris-wheel.

    Roy Blakeley's Bee-line Hike |Percy Keese Fitzhugh

  • All he saw was what appeared to be a sort of ferris-wheel, except that it was revolving in a horizontal plane.

    Minor Detail |John Michael Sharkey

British Dictionary definitions for ferris wheel

Ferris wheel
/ (ˈfɛrɪs) /

noun

a fairground wheel having seats freely suspended from its rim; the seats remain horizontal throughout its rotation

Word Origin for Ferris wheel

C19: named after G.W.G. Ferris (1859–96), American engineer