Ferris Wheel Definition, Example Sentences & Uses

Meaning 1：Ferris wheel (Ferris Wheel)

Ferris Wheel 🔊

/ˈfɛrɪs wiːl/

A large, upright, rotating wheel with passenger cars hanging from it, used for amusement and sightseeing.

Ferris wheel 🔊

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/ˈfɛrɪs wiːl/

A large upright rotating wheel with passenger cars attached, used for amusement and sightseeing.

📁 Category：Entertainment & Sports 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

'Ferris' from inventor George Washington Ferris; 'wheel' from Old English 'hwēol'.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of 'Ferris' like 'ferrous' (iron) — a giant iron wheel at the fair.

📖 Example

We waited in a long line just to ride the Ferris wheel and see the city lights from the top at night. 🔊 We waited in a long line just to ride the Ferris wheel and see the city lights from the top at night.

🔗 Collocations

ride the Ferris wheel – to go on a Ferris wheel as a passenger

giant Ferris wheel – a very large Ferris wheel, often in a city park or fair

Ferris wheel at the fair – a Ferris wheel installed at an amusement fair or carnival

🔄 Synonyms

observation wheel (n.) – a tall Ferris-like wheel used for sightseeing

big wheel (n.) – British term for a Ferris wheel

amusement wheel (n.) – a wheel-shaped ride at an amusement park

📖 Cultural Story

First built by George Washington Ferris Jr. for the 1893 Chicago World's Fair as an American answer to the Eiffel Tower.