Illustration of pulley
- pulley 2
plural pulleys
1
: a sheave or small wheel with a grooved rim and with or without the block in which it runs used singly with a rope or chain to change the direction and point of application of a pulling force and in various combinations to increase the applied force especially for lifting weights
2
: a pulley or pulleys with ropes to form a tackle that constitutes one of the simple machines
3
: a wheel used to transmit power by means of a band, belt, cord, rope, or chain passing over its rim
Examples of pulley in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
These might include levers, wheels and axles, pulleys, or inclined planes.
—
Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 9 May 2024
On Tuesday, with Hamilton Hall’s doors barricaded, students used a milk crate on a pulley to lift supplies into the building through an upper-floor window.
—Isa Farfan, NBC News, 30 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pulley 
Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 9 May 2024
On Tuesday, with Hamilton Hall’s doors barricaded, students used a milk crate on a pulley to lift supplies into the building through an upper-floor window.
—Isa Farfan, NBC News, 30 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pulley
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pulley.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Pulley.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pulley. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pulley
noun
pul·ley
ˈpu̇l-ē 
plural pulleys
: a small wheel with a grooved rim used with a rope or chain to change the direction of a pulling force and in combination to increase the force applied for lifting
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