Meanings
plural treaders
- One who treads.
- OxfordUKslangA bicycle.
Why, he weren’t no more’n knocked offen his treader. An’ now he’ve rid off home on it!
1958, Dominic Reeve, Smoke in the Lanes, London: Constable & Co.; republished London: The Country Book Club, 1959, page 822 more examples
The Royal Academy has just two orange hoops on to which four early-bird visitors can chain their treaders. It is left to the railings outside for the rest.
1996 June 6, Ben Summers, “Saddle-weary commuters left with a sore deal”, in The Independent, London, page 6He set off from Oxford on a standard old "treader" bike, often at night – navigating by the stars and napping under a hedge if got^([sic]) tired on his way to Holt.
2015 July 25, Richard Batson, “Family set for 156-mile charity ride in memory of Holt doctor”, in Eastern Daily Press, Norwich
Origin
- Middle Englishtredere
- Englishtreader
From Middle English tredere, equivalent to tread + -er. Cognate with Middle Dutch treder (“treader”), Middle Low German trēdære, trēder (“treader, bellows kicker”), Middle High German tretære, treter (“treader”) (whence German Treter (“old shoe, footballer”)).
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
treader. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/treader
“treader.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/treader. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “treader,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/treader.
Source: treader on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.