biking

biking — verb

1. to travel from one place to another by riding a bicycle, especially for daily tr

1.verbintransitiveA2
Definition

to travel from one place to another by riding a bicycle, especially for daily trips such as going to work, school, or a shop

Example

Nora bikes to school every morning because it is faster than walking.

bike + to + [place] for everyday transport

Instead of driving, Takeshi decided to bike to the public library.

Common collocations
  • bike to work
  • bike to school
  • bike along the path
  • bike through the park
Synonyms
  • cycle

    more formal, common in British English

  • ride a bike

    more explicit; used when emphasising the action itself rather than the destination

Antonyms
  • drive

    travel by car instead of bicycle

  • walk

    travel on foot instead of bicycle

Grammar Patterns

bike + to/along/through + [place]

Usage Note

Frequently used with a destination phrase (to/along/through + place). In British English, 'cycle' is a more formal equivalent.

Common Mistakes

I biked a bike to school.
I biked to school.
'bike' already includes the idea of riding a bicycle; do not add 'a bike' after it.

2. to deliver items such as food, packages, or documents by riding a motorcycle, ty

2.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

to deliver items such as food, packages, or documents by riding a motorcycle, typically as a paid service

Example

On weekends, Christopher bikes food orders across the city for a restaurant.

bike + [items] + across + [area] for delivery

The delivery service hired Indra to bike urgent documents between offices.

Common collocations
  • bike food orders
  • bike documents
  • bike packages
  • bike across town
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

bike + [something] + to + [someone]

bike + [something] + across/through + [area]

Usage Note

Subject is usually a paid courier, delivery driver, or restaurant employee. This sense is very common in the context of food delivery services.

Common Mistakes

He biked a sandwich to her on his bicycle.
He biked a sandwich to her on his motorcycle.
This sense specifically refers to motorcycle delivery, not bicycle.

biking — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While all four words describe activities on two-wheeled vehicles, they differ in scope and register. 'Cycling' is the most formal and sport-oriented term, used for road racing, commuting in British English, and organised club activities. 'Biking' (noun/1) is more casual and broadly covers both bicycles and motorcycles as leisure or exercise. 'Mountain biking' is a specific subcategory of off-road cycling on rough terrain, requiring specialised equipment. 'Motorcycling' refers exclusively to riding a motorcycle as a hobby or sport, not a bicycle. In everyday speech, a person might say 'I love biking' to mean general cycling or motorcycling, but 'I love cycling' almost always means riding a bicycle. For example: 'She took up mountain biking in the Rockies' versus 'He prefers road cycling on flat country lanes.'

cycling ↗ridingmountain bikingmotorcycling ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • go biking
  • do some biking
  • take up biking

Etymology

LatinGreekFrenchEnglish

'Biking' comes from 'bike', a shortened form of 'bicycle' (mid-19th century), which was borrowed from French 'bicyclette' — itself built from Latin 'bi-' (two) and Greek 'kyklos' (circle/wheel). The gerund form 'biking' appeared in the late 1800s as the activity grew in popularity. By the mid-20th century, 'bike' also came to mean 'motorcycle', extending 'biking' to cover motorcycling as well.