ferris wheel

UK/ˈfɛɹɪs ʍiːl/UK/ˈfɛɹɪs wiːl/US/ˈfɛɹɪs ʍil/US/ˈfɛɹɪs wil/

noun

An amusement ride, consisting of an upright rotating wheel having seats that remain in a horizontal position as the wheel revolves.

Similar
big wheelobservation wheel
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Meanings

ferris wheel1

nounferris wheel (plural ferris wheels)

plural ferris wheels

  1. Alternative letter-case form of Ferris wheel.

Ferris wheel2

nounFerris wheel (plural Ferris wheels)

plural Ferris wheels

  1. An amusement ride, consisting of an upright rotating wheel having seats that remain in a horizontal position as the wheel revolves.

    Synonyms: big wheel, observation wheel

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAn amusement ride, consisting of an upright rotating wheel having seats that remain in a horizontal position as the wheel revolves.

Similar
big wheelobservation wheel

Origin

Named after designer and constructor George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. (1859–1896) who built the first such wheel.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans Ferriswiel
  • Ferriswielride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Arabic دُولَاب هَوَاء
  • دُولَاب هَوَاء (dūlāb hawāʔ)ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Bulgarian виенско колело
  • виенско колело (viensko kolelo)ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Catalan roda de fira
  • roda de firaride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Chinese Mandarin 摩天輪 /摩天轮
  • 摩天輪 /摩天轮 (mótiānlún)ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Czech ruské kolo
  • ruské koloride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Danish pariserhjul
  • pariserhjulride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Dutch reuzenrad
  • reuzenradride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Esperanto spektoradego
  • spektoradegoride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Estonian vaateratas, ilmaratas
  • vaateratasride at a fair consisting of large wheel
  • ilmaratasride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Finnish maailmanpyörä
  • maailmanpyöräride at a fair consisting of large wheel
French grande roue
  • grande roueride at a fair consisting of large wheel
German Riesenrad
  • Riesenradride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Hebrew גלגל ענק
  • גלגל ענק (galgal ‘anak)ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Hindi बड़ा चक्का, फ़ेरिस व्हील
  • बड़ा चक्का (baṛā cakkā)ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
  • फ़ेरिस व्हील (feris vhīl)ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
  • फ़ेरिस पहिया (feris pahiyā)ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Hungarian óriáskerék
  • óriáskerékride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Icelandic parísarhjól
  • parísarhjólride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Indonesian bianglala, kincir ria
  • bianglalaride at a fair consisting of large wheel
  • kincir riaride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Irish roth mór
  • roth mórride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Italian ruota panoramica
  • ruota panoramicaride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Japanese 観覧車
  • 観覧車 (kanransha)ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Korean 관람차
  • 관람차 (gwallamcha)ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Malay roda Ferris, roda besar
  • roda Ferrisride at a fair consisting of large wheel
  • roda besarride at a fair consisting of large wheel
  • roda pemerhatianride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Norwegian pariserhjul
  • pariserhjulride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Persian چرخ و فلک
  • چرخ و فلک (čarx-o-falak)ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Polish diabelski młyn
  • diabelski młynride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Portuguese roda-gigante
  • roda-giganteride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Russian колесо́ обозре́ния, чёртово колесо́
  • колесо́ обозре́ния (kolesó obozrénija)ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
  • чёртово колесо́ (čórtovo kolesó)ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Spanish noria, rueda de la fortuna
  • noriaride at a fair consisting of large wheel
  • rueda de la fortunaride at a fair consisting of large wheel
  • vuelta al mundoride at a fair consisting of large wheel
  • rueda moscovitaride at a fair consisting of large wheel
  • rueda de Chicagoride at a fair consisting of large wheel
  • rueda Ferrisride at a fair consisting of large wheel
  • chicagüitaride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Swedish pariserhjul
  • pariserhjulride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Tagalog chubibo
  • chubiboride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Thai ชิงช้าสวรรค์, กระเช้าสวรรค์
  • ชิงช้าสวรรค์ (ching-cháa-sà-wǎn)ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
  • กระเช้าสวรรค์ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Turkish dönme dolap
  • dönme dolapride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Ukrainian оглядо́ве ко́лесо, чо́ртове ко́лесо
  • оглядо́ве ко́лесо (ohljadóve kóleso)ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
  • чо́ртове ко́лесо (čórtove kóleso)ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Vietnamese vòng đu quay, đu quay đứng
  • vòng đu quayride at a fair consisting of large wheel
  • đu quay đứngride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Yiddish פֿעריס־ראָד
  • פֿעריס־ראָד (feris-rod)ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Cite this entry
APA

ferris wheel. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ferris%20wheel

MLA

“ferris wheel.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ferris%20wheel. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ferris wheel,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ferris%20wheel.

Source: ferris wheel on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.