penny farthing
Preserved but no longer current.
The nickname of what was also called the "ordinary" bicycle that came into vogue in 1872. The front wheel was much larger than the back wheel, sometimes being as much as 5 ft. in diameter while the rear was only 12 in. The drive was directly on the front wheel, the seat being above it and set only slightly back from the perpendicular of its axle.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “penny farthing” mean?
The nickname of what was also called the "ordinary" bicycle that came into vogue in 1872. The front wheel was much larger than the back wheel, sometimes being as much as 5 ft. in diameter while the rear was only 12 in. The drive was directly on the front wheel, the seat being above it and set only slightly back from the perpendicular of its axle.
Is “penny farthing” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.