Scooter: A Child's Toy and an Italian Icon
A scooter is a small vehicle with a footboard, or a light motorcycle. The name comes from scoot, meaning to move quickly.
A scooter is a board on wheels pushed by foot, or a small motorcycle with a step-through frame. The two are related by shape rather than by power. The motor scooter as most people picture it came from post-war Italy, where cheap personal transport was needed and fuel was scarce.
- A footboard on wheels. *A child's scooter.*
- A small motorcycle. *A 50cc scooter.*
- A mobility scooter. *He uses a mobility scooter.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | scooter | An electric scooter. |
| Plural | scooters | Hired scooters. |
| Verb | scoot | Scoot over. |
| Compound | motor scooter | A vintage motor scooter. |
| Compound | mobility scooter | A mobility scooter. |
How it is used in a sentence
- She rides a scooter to work.Motorised.
- Electric scooters are regulated differently in each country.Often restricted on public roads.
- Scoot over and make room.The verb, informal.
Two-wheeler words
- Scooter — step-through frame, small wheels
- Motorcycle — a frame you sit astride
- Moped — a low-powered machine, originally with pedals
- E-scooter — an electric standing scooter
- Vespa — Italian for wasp, and a famous scooter marque
From *scoot*, to go quickly, a word of uncertain origin recorded from the seventeenth century. The child's toy took the name around 1900.
Scooter or moped?
A moped is defined by engine size and speed, and originally had pedals. A scooter is defined by its step-through frame.
Are e-scooters legal?
It varies widely. Many countries restrict where privately owned ones may be ridden, and rules change frequently.