treadle

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: trea=dle

CIDE DICTIONARY

treadle, n. [OE. tredyl a step, AS. tredel. See Tread.].

•  The part of a foot lathe, or other machine, which is pressed or moved by the foot.  [1913 Webster]
•  The chalaza of a bird's egg; the tread.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

treadle, n. & v.
--n. a lever worked by the foot and imparting motion to a machine.
--v.intr. work a treadle.

Etymology

OE tredel stair (as TREAD)

THESAURUS

treadle

advance, bar, beam, boom, bowl, bunt, butt, cant hook, claw bar, crank, crow, crowbar, drive, forward, handspike, impel, iron crow, jimmy, lever, limb, marlinespike, move, outrigger, peavey, pedal, pinch bar, pole, prize, propel, pry, push, ripping bar, roll, row, shove, shunt, spar, sweep, sweep along, thrust, troll, trundle, wrecking bar

ROGET THESAURUS

treadle

Instrument

N instrument, machinery, mechanism, engineering, instrument, organ, tool, implement, utensil, machine, engine, lathe, gin, mill, air engine, caloric engine, heat engine, gear, tackle, tackling, rig, rigging, apparatus, appliances, plant, materiel, harness, trappings, fittings, accouterments, barde, equipment, equipmentage, appointments, furniture, upholstery, chattels, paraphernalia, mechanical powers, lever, leverage, mechanical advantage, crow, crowbar, handspike, gavelock, jemmy, jimmy, arm, limb, wing, oar, paddle, pulley, wheel and axle, wheelwork, clockwork, wheels within wheels, pinion, crank, winch, cam, pedal, capstan, wheel, inclined plane, wedge, screw, spring, mainspring, can hook, glut, heald, heddle, jenny, parbuckle, sprag, water wheel, handle, hilt, haft, shaft, heft, shank, blade, trigger, tiller, helm, treadle, key, turnscrew, screwdriver, knocker, hammer, edge tool, borer, vice, teeth, nail, rope, peg, support, spoon, arms, oar, cardiograph, recapper, snowplow, tenpenny, votograph, instrumental, mechanical, machinal, brachial.