a motor vehicle with two wheels and a strong frame
"The delivery driver parked his heavy-duty bike next to the curb after making thirty stops in an hour."
Clipping of bicycle.
"The old tree stump had turned into a buzzing bike after the scout bees found it yesterday."
A hive of bees, or a nest of wasps, hornets, or ants.
In plain English: A bike is a two-wheeled vehicle that you ride by pedaling.
"I need to lock my bike outside before I go inside."
Usage: Bike refers to a two-wheeled vehicle powered by pedals or a motor and is not related to insects. Use this word when talking about transportation, never when describing a colony of bees or wasps.
To ride a bike.
"I need to leave my keys at home if I plan on biking to work today."
In plain English: To bike means to ride a bicycle.
"We need to bike to work because the buses are delayed."
Usage: Use "to bike" specifically when describing the act of riding a bicycle for transportation or exercise. Avoid using it to describe riding other types of vehicles like cars or motorcycles.
The word "bike" is a shortened form of bicycle that first appeared in 1882. While it likely comes from splitting the original word into "bi-" and "cycle," some speakers may have restored the hard "k" sound because they associate "-ycle" endings with words like "electricity."