Pedaled

Pedaled is the past tense and past participle of the verb pedal. Pedal means to operate or press a pedal with the foot, or to propel a device by turning its pedals. In common usage, pedaled describes actions such as riding a bicycle, where the rider turns the pedals to move forward, and activating foot-operated controls on machinery or instruments.

Usage is most frequent in references to bicycles, where someone pedaled to maintain speed or climb a hill. The term can also apply to any mechanism powered or controlled by a foot pedal, such as starting or regulating a machine, or engaging a pedal on a musical instrument that alters its function. In these contexts, sources may describe the action as depressing or pressing a pedal, with pedaled serving as the past-tense form.

Spelling variants reflect differences between American and British English. American English uses pedaled, while British English often uses pedalled. The word derives from the noun pedal, which itself comes from Latin pedalis, meaning “of the foot.” The term has extended usage in technical, athletic, and cultural descriptions of foot-powered motion and control.

See also: pedal, pedaling, pedaller, pedal-powered devices.