scooter

noun

scoot·​er ˈskü-tər How to pronounce scooter (audio)
plural scooters
1
a
: a vehicle ridden while standing that consists of a narrow footboard mounted between or atop two wheels tandem that has an upright steering handle attached to the front wheel, and that is moved by pushing with one foot
What pleases parents is the addition of hand brakes, which make today's scooters relatively safe.Newsweek
b
: a similar vehicle propelled by an electric motor
The rules are part of the city's attempts to cope with the rapid influx of scooters that have proven wildly popular but also raised safety concerns as they zip around at 20 mph, weaving between pedestrians or darting into traffic.Ely Portillo

called also electric scooter, e-scooter

2
3
: a single-person vehicle ridden while seated that usually has three or four wheels and an open body framework, is typically propelled by an electric motor, and is used especially by those with impaired mobility
… where students with the most severe physical challenges—all use motorized wheelchairs or scooters—live on the first floor.Jodi S. Cohen

called also mobility scooter

Examples of scooter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Nearby, two workers from Guinea changed the oil on a scooter while others from Latin America, China and Turkmenistan picked up orders for apps like Uber Eats, Grubhub and DoorDash. Cedar Attanasio, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2024 That won’t happen on this scooter because of the beeps. Scott Kramer, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 The only memento Camacho has of Dean is a scooter a church gifted to him. Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Feb. 2024 Her youngest son, Zachary, was next to her on his scooter. Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2024 All of the rickshaw configurations have a top speed of 28 mph, while the scooter can reach up to 37 mph. Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 17 Feb. 2024 Two other scooter companies, Micromobility and Superpedestrian, have died as well. Barbara Bry, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Feb. 2024 Skateboards, scooters, bicycles, wagons, carts or any personal motorized vehicles Tents, canopies, or shade structures of any kind. Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 17 Feb. 2024 The company transitioned into a more asset-light business model, offloading its loss-making bikes and scooters business and winding down its capital-intensive autonomous vehicle division. Natalie Lung, Fortune, 15 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scooter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1916, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of scooter was in 1916

Dictionary Entries Near scooter

Cite this Entry

“Scooter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scooter. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

scooter

noun
scoot·​er ˈsküt-ər How to pronounce scooter (audio)
1
: a child's vehicle consisting of a narrow base between a front and a back wheel and guided by a handle attached to the front wheel
2

More from Merriam-Webster on scooter

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