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peloton

1 American  
[pel-uh-ton, pel-uh-ton, plaw-tawn] / ˈpɛl əˌtɒn, ˌpɛl əˈtɒn, plɔˈtɔ̃ /

noun

Cycling.

  1. a large pack or cluster of bicyclists in a road race, riding closely together to reduce wind resistance and conserve their energy.

peloton 2 American  
[pel-uh-ton, pel-uh-ton, plaw-tawn] / ˈpɛl əˌtɒn, ˌpɛl əˈtɒn, plɔˈtɔ̃ /

noun

  1. an ornamental glass made in Bohemia in the late 19th century, usually having a striated overlay of glass filaments in a different color.

peloton British  
/ ˈpɛləˌtɒn /

noun

  1. cycle racing the main field of riders in a road race

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of peloton1

First recorded in 1935–40; from French: literally, “little ball (especially of thread), small body of soldiers”; platoon ( def. ), peloton 2

Origin of peloton2

First recorded in 1710–20; from French: literally, “ball, ball of string,” equivalent to pelote “ball” + -on diminutive suffix; pellet, peloton 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Skaters bide their time in a peloton—before trying to break away from the bunch with a decisive burst.

From The Wall Street Journal

It’s whether or not he could adapt to the frenzy of a 100-plus rider peloton.

From The Wall Street Journal

“The peloton is a tricky thing,” said Vaughters.

From The Wall Street Journal

Vande Velde agreed that the peloton would be a challenge—“banging bars at 60 kilometers per hour in the last 5K…no thank you!”—but he couldn’t help but wonder how Stolz would fare.

From The Wall Street Journal

People being stuck at home, unable to see movies, shop in person, travel or eat out was great for companies like Zoom, Peloton, Shopify and Docusign.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.