noun · 2 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
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CMU ARPABET:W IY1 L B EY2 S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:HH W IY1 L B EY2 S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The horizontal distance between the front and rear axles of a road or rail vehicle.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
the distance from the center of a car's front wheel to the rear axle
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: distance
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kwel- Proto-Indo-European *kwekwléh2 Proto-Germanic *hweulō Old English hwēol Middle English whel English wheel Proto-Indo-European *gwem- Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *gwémtis Proto-Hellenic *gwə́tis Ancient Greek βᾰ́σῐς (bắsĭs)bor. Latin basis Old French basebor. Middle English base English base English wheelbase From wheel + base.
Across languages
Translations
10 source translations are retained for this English entry.