treadle
/ˈtrɛdəl/
verb
- To operate a machine by pressing a treadle with the foot.
- She treadled the spinning wheel gently to keep the thread even.
- The tailor treadled the sewing machine while guiding the fabric.
- In the workshop, workers treadled the looms to weave cloth.
noun
- A lever or pedal that is pressed by the foot to operate a machine, such as a sewing machine or a lathe.
- She pressed the treadle with her foot to start the sewing machine.
- He learned to control the speed of the lathe by adjusting the pressure on the treadle.
- The old potter's wheel was powered by a wooden treadle.