noun
pulley
PUU-lee
noun
1
A simple machine consisting of a wheel with a grooved rim over which a rope or chain runs, used to lift or move loads.
"They used a pulley system to hoist the piano to the second floor."
"The block and tackle uses several pulleys to multiply lifting force."
How to Use Pulley
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA grooved wheel that a rope runs over, used to make lifting things easier.
Common pairings
a pulley system
block and tackle pulley
Word Forms
pulleyed past tense, pulleys plural, pullies plural, pulleys singular
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They used a _____ system to hoist the piano to the second floor.
Etymology
From Old French polie, ultimately from Ancient Greek πόλος (pólos), "pivot, axis." Later linked to the verb "pull" by folk etymology.