noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈfɛɹɪs ʍiːl/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈfɛɹɪs wiːl/
General-American:/ˈfɛɹɪs ʍil/
General-American:/ˈfɛɹɪs wil/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
1
noun
Meaning 1
An amusement ride, consisting of an upright rotating wheel having seats that remain in a horizontal position as the wheel revolves.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: big wheel, observation wheel
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Alternative letter-case form of Ferris wheel.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: alt-of
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
a vertical rotating mechanism consisting of a large wheel with suspended seats that remain upright as the wheel rotates; provides a ride at an amusement park
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: ride, rotating mechanism
History
Etymology
Named after designer and constructor George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. (1859–1896) who built the first such wheel.
Across languages
Translations
61 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
Ferriswiel
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Arabic:
دولاب هواء
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Belarusian:
чортава кола
(čórtava kóla)
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Bulgarian:
виенско колело
(viensko kolelo)
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Burmese:
ချားရဟတ်
(hkya:ra.hat)
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Burmese:
ရဟတ်
(ra.hat)
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Catalan:
roda de fira
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Chinese Mandarin:
摩天輪 /摩天轮
(mótiānlún)
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Czech:
ruské kolo
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Danish:
pariserhjul
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Dutch:
reuzenrad
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Esperanto:
spektoradego
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Estonian:
vaateratas
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Estonian:
ilmaratas
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Finnish:
maailmanpyörä
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
French:
grande roue
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Galician:
nora
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Georgian:
ეშმაკის ბორბალი
(ešmaḳis borbali)
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Georgian:
სათვალთვალო ბორბალი
(satvaltvalo borbali)
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
German:
Riesenrad
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Gujarati:
ચકડોળ
(cakḍoḷ)
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Hebrew:
גלגל ענק
(galgal ‘anak)
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Hindi:
बड़ा चक्का
(baṛā cakkā)
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Hindi:
फ़ेरिस व्हील
(feris vhīl)
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Hindi:
फ़ेरिस पहिया
(feris pahiyā)
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Hungarian:
óriáskerék
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Icelandic:
parísarhjól
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Indonesian:
bianglala
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Indonesian:
kincir ria
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Irish:
roth mór
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Italian:
ruota panoramica
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Japanese:
観覧車
(kanransha)
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Korean:
관람차
(gwallamcha)
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Malay:
roda Ferris
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Malay:
roda besar
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Malay:
roda pemerhatian
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Marathi:
आकाशपाळणा
(ākāśpāḷṇā)
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Marathi:
फेरी चाक
(pherī cāk)
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Mongolian:
алсыг харагч
(alsyg xaragč)
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Norwegian:
pariserhjul
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Polish:
diabelski młyn
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Portuguese:
roda-gigante
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Russian:
колесо́ обозре́ния
(kolesó obozrénija)
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Russian:
чёртово колесо́
(čórtovo kolesó)
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Sotho:
lebidi la Ferris
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Spanish:
noria
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Spanish:
rueda de la fortuna
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Spanish:
vuelta al mundo
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Spanish:
rueda moscovita
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Spanish:
rueda de Chicago
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Spanish:
rueda Ferris
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Swedish:
pariserhjul
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Tagalog:
chubibo
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Thai:
ชิงช้าสวรรค์
(ching-cháa-sà-wǎn)
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Thai:
กระเช้าสวรรค์
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Turkish:
dönme dolap
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Ukrainian:
оглядо́ве ко́лесо
(ohljadóve kóleso)
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Ukrainian:
чо́ртове ко́лесо
(čórtove kóleso)
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Vietnamese:
vòng đu quay
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Vietnamese:
đu quay đứng
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
Yiddish:
פֿעריס־ראָד
(feris-rod)
— ride at a fair consisting of large wheel
