pulley
[ poo l-ee ]
/ ˈpʊl i /
noun, plural pul·leys.
a wheel, with a grooved rim for carrying a line, that turns in a frame or block and serves to change the direction of or to transmit force, as when one end of the line is pulled to raise a weight at the other end: one of the simple machines.
a combination of such wheels in a block, or of such wheels or blocks in a tackle, to increase the force applied.
a wheel driven by or driving a belt or the like, used to deliver force to a machine, another belt, etc., at a certain speed and torque.
Origin of pulley
1275–1325; Middle English
poley, puly < Middle French
polie ≪ Medieval Greek
*polídion little pivot, equivalent to
pól(os)
pole2 +
-idion diminutive suffix
OTHER WORDS FROM pulley
pul·ley·less, adjectiveWords nearby pulley
pull-up,
pullback,
pulldown,
pulled,
pullet,
pulley,
pulley bone,
pulley stile,
pulling boat,
pulling teeth,
pullman
Example sentences from the Web for pulley
British Dictionary definitions for pulley
pulley
/ (ˈpʊlɪ) /
noun
a wheel with a grooved rim in which a rope, chain, or belt can run in order to change the direction or point of application of a force applied to the rope, etc
a number of such wheels pivoted in parallel in a block, used to raise heavy loads
a wheel with a flat, convex, or grooved rim mounted on a shaft and driven by or driving a belt passing around it
Word Origin for pulley
C14
poley, from Old French
polie, from Vulgar Latin
polidium (unattested), apparently from Late Greek
polidion (unattested) a little pole, from Greek
polos axis
Scientific definitions for pulley
pulley
[ pul′ē ]
A machine consisting of a wheel over which a pulled rope or chain runs to change the direction of the pull used for lifting a load. Combinations of two or more pulleys working together reduce the force needed to lift a load. See also block and tackle.