derailleur
noun
de·rail·leur
di-ˈrā-lər 
: a mechanism for shifting gears on a bicycle that operates by moving the chain from one set of exposed gears to another
Examples of derailleur in a Sentence
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Out back, a Shimano 7-speed Tourney derailleur common to many e-bikes handles gear-changing duties.
—
William Roberson, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
The base option for this ebike actually tips the scales four pounds heavier though, and sports a 9-speed derailleur.
—Paul Ridden, New Atlas, 7 Mar. 2025
View 6 Images Many ebikes sport a derailleur hanging out back to giver riders more flexibility than single-speeders.
—Paul Ridden, New Atlas, 18 Feb. 2025
Priority Bikes have a niche corner of the market with their low-maintenance internal belt drive, which replaces the chain and standard derailleur with an internal hub system.
—Maggie Slepian, Travel + Leisure, 11 Feb. 2025
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William Roberson, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
The base option for this ebike actually tips the scales four pounds heavier though, and sports a 9-speed derailleur.
—Paul Ridden, New Atlas, 7 Mar. 2025
View 6 Images Many ebikes sport a derailleur hanging out back to giver riders more flexibility than single-speeders.
—Paul Ridden, New Atlas, 18 Feb. 2025
Priority Bikes have a niche corner of the market with their low-maintenance internal belt drive, which replaces the chain and standard derailleur with an internal hub system.
—Maggie Slepian, Travel + Leisure, 11 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for derailleur
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Cite this Entry
“Derailleur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/derailleur. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
derailleur
noun
de·rail·leur
di-ˈrā-lər
: a device for shifting gears on a bicycle that operates by moving the chain from one set of exposed gears to another
Etymology
from French dérailleur "gear changing device," from dérailler "to derail"
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