plural mopeds
: a lightweight, low-powered motorbike that can be pedaled
The difference between a moped and a scooter is like the difference between an economy car and full-sized coupe. A scooter has comfy footrests instead of pedals and a luxurious seat seemingly long enough to accommodate a family of four.—
Kelly Whiteside
Kelly Whiteside
broadly
: any low-powered motorbike
The Motorman may fit the legal definition of a moped, but it has no pedals. The drivetrain is fully electric. —Rene Chun
Rene Chun A moped is defined as either a pedal bicycle with a helper motor or a non-pedal bicycle with a motor, which has all of the following characteristics: Have a cylinder capacity of no more than 50 cubic centimeters. Have an automatic transmission. Be capable of a maximum speed of no more than 30 miles per hour. Comply with all applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards. —Mass.gov
Mass.gov moped
2 of 2past tense of mope entry 1
Examples of moped in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebEmily Langer, Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2024
Unlike in Shanghai, the roads of Guangzhou do not have good separation between cars, bicycles and mopeds.
—Mark Andrews, WIRED, 13 Mar. 2024
The cost per motorcycle is $7 when purchased during license plate registration renewal and $7 for mopeds when purchased at state parks and more DNR customer service centers.
—Detroit Free Press, 12 Mar. 2024
Once the swimming at the 1960 Olympics was completed, Larson and some of his teammates rented mopeds and toured Rome.
—Richard Sandomir, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2024
At the February news conference, officials showed a woman being dragged by a thief on a moped.
—Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2024
There have been some efforts to fix the situation by DOT — currently plastic bollards cordon off a section of the No Standing zone on Flatbush so there’s a space off the sidewalk for the mopeds and e-bikes to park.
—Clio Chang, Curbed, 8 Jan. 2024
Six were on motorcycles or mopeds and 19 were drivers or passengers.
—Luz Lazo, Washington Post, 20 Dec. 2023
Enlarge John Timmer The arrival of e-bikes has blurred the lines between bicycles, mopeds, and scooters.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 15 Dec. 2023
Noun
Meanwhile, Jules becomes entangled with mobsters and unsavory representatives of a record company that threaten to sell the illicit tape unless Cynthia records with them — a plot line that sends him speeding through the streets of Paris and into the underground Metro on his moped.
—Emily Langer, Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2024
Unlike in Shanghai, the roads of Guangzhou do not have good separation between cars, bicycles and mopeds.
—Mark Andrews, WIRED, 13 Mar. 2024
The cost per motorcycle is $7 when purchased during license plate registration renewal and $7 for mopeds when purchased at state parks and more DNR customer service centers.
—Detroit Free Press, 12 Mar. 2024
Once the swimming at the 1960 Olympics was completed, Larson and some of his teammates rented mopeds and toured Rome.
—Richard Sandomir, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2024
At the February news conference, officials showed a woman being dragged by a thief on a moped.
—Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2024
There have been some efforts to fix the situation by DOT — currently plastic bollards cordon off a section of the No Standing zone on Flatbush so there’s a space off the sidewalk for the mopeds and e-bikes to park.
—Clio Chang, Curbed, 8 Jan. 2024
Six were on motorcycles or mopeds and 19 were drivers or passengers.
—Luz Lazo, Washington Post, 20 Dec. 2023
Enlarge John Timmer The arrival of e-bikes has blurred the lines between bicycles, mopeds, and scooters.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 15 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'moped.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near moped
Cite this Entry
“Moped.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moped. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
moped
noun
mo·ped
ˈmō-ˌped 
: a lightweight low-powered motorbike that can be pedaled
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