derailleur Hear it!

derailleur definition

de·rail·leur (də rāl′ər)

noun

a gear-shifting mechanism on a bicycle for controlling its speed by shifting the sprocket chain from one to another of a set of different-sized sprocket wheels

Etymology: Fr dérailleur, derailer, with reference to the “derailing” of the chain from the sprocket

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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