pedal: [17] Pedal is one of a group of English words which go back to Latin pēs ‘foot’ or its Romance descendants (to which English foot is related). Others include impede [17], pedestal [16] (which comes via French from Old Italian piedestallo, a conflation of pie di stallo ‘foot of a stall’), pedestrian [18], pedicure [19], pedigree, and pedometer [18]. => foot, impede, pawn, pedestal, pedestrian, pedigree
pedal (n.)
1610s, "lever (on an organ) worked by foot," from French pédale "feet, trick with the feet," from Italian pedale "treadle, pedal," from Late Latin pedale "(thing) of the foot," neuter of Latin pedalis "of the foot," from pes (genitive pedis) "foot," from PIE root *ped- (1) "a foot" (see foot (n.)).
Extended to various mechanical contrivances by 1789. Pedal steel guitar is from 1969. Pedal-pushers "type of women's trousers suitable for bicycling" is from 1944.
When college girls took to riding bicycles in slacks, they first rolled up one trouser leg, then rolled up both. This whimsy has now produced a trim variety of long shorts, called "pedal pushers." ["Life," Aug. 28, 1944]
pedal (v.)
1866 of musical organs, 1888 of bicycles, from pedal (n.). Related: Pedaled; pedaling.
实用例句
1. The harder the brake pedal is pressed, the greater the car's deceleration.
刹车踩得越用力，车子减速越猛。来自柯林斯例句
2. Your foot falls off the pedal and you stall the car.
你的脚离开踏板，汽车便会熄火。来自柯林斯例句
3. He refused to soft-pedal an investigation into the scandal.
他拒绝降低对这起丑闻的调查力度。来自柯林斯例句
4. He appeared to back-pedal on that statement.
他看起来想要收回声明中说过的话。来自柯林斯例句
5. The protests have forced the government to back-pedal on the new tax.
