Definition of "pedal" []

• A foot-operated lever used for actuating or controlling a mechanism, as in a loom, sewing machine, piano, or organ. (noun)
• A similar foot-operated part attached to a crank and used for powering various devices, such as a bicycle. (noun)
• Music A pedal point. (noun)
• Music A pedal keyboard. (noun)
• Of or relating to a pedal. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "She often used the term pedal or pedalo-French slang for a homosexual-draping it with condescension, pity, and disapproval."
• "You may not have ever heard the term pedal notes before, but we're sure you've heard them used in countless solos, and in many different styles of music."
• "The 'PM' attack on Michal Kaminski featured an extract from that 9-year old interview where Kaminski used the Polish word "pedal", which means "queer, poor, fag"."