spoke
n. countablen. one of the thin metal or wooden bars that connect the center of a wheel to its outer edge. You see these most often on bicycle wheels or old wooden wagon wheels.
n. any of the small radiating bars or rods that connect the hub of a wheel to its rim. In modern contexts, these are typically tensioned wire or rigid metal rods.
A loose spoke on the front wheel caused the bicycle to wobble.
The mechanic spent an hour tightening every spoke to ensure the wheel remained perfectly straight under pressure.
The traditional wooden wheel was a marvel of engineering, relying on the precise fit of each spoke into the central hub to distribute the weight of the heavy carriage.
From Middle English spoke, from Old English spāca, from Proto-West Germanic spaikā, from Proto-Germanic spaikǭ. Compare Scots spaik (“spoke”), Dutch spaak and English spike.
From Middle English speke, spake, spoke, spak, spek, speken, spoken, from Old English spæc, specen.
Commonly used in the plural when referring to the structure of a wheel.