Ferris wheel

Ferris wheel
Ferris wheel Fer"ris wheel An amusement device consisting of a giant power-driven vertically oriented steel wheel, revolvable on its horizontal stationary axle, and carrying a number of balanced passenger cars or open seats around its rim; the seats are suspended so as to remain horizontal as the wheel rotates, and, depending on the size of the wheel, the passengers when they reach the top may have a grand vista of the surrounding area; -- so called after G. W. G. Ferris, American engineer, who erected the first of its kind for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893.

Note: Ferris wheels are often found at traveling fairs and at permanent amusement parks. The {Reisenrad} in Vienna is one of the world's largest and most famous Ferris wheels. [Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Ferris wheel — ► NOUN ▪ a fairground ride consisting of a giant vertical revolving wheel with passenger cars suspended on its outer edge. ORIGIN named after the American engineer George W. G. Ferris (1859 96) …   English terms dictionary

  • Ferris wheel — ☆ Ferris wheel [fer′is ] n. [after George W. G. Ferris (1859 96), U.S. engineer who constructed the first one for the World s Fair in Chicago in 1893] a large, upright wheel revolving on a fixed axle and having seats hanging between two parallel… …   English World dictionary

  • Ferris wheel — 1893, American English, from U.S. engineer George W.G. Ferris (1859 1896), who designed it for the World s Columbian Exposition, held in Chicago, 1893. It was 250 feet tall and meant to rival the Eiffel Tower, from the 1889 Paris Exposition …   Etymology dictionary

  • Ferris wheel — For other uses, see Ferris wheel (disambiguation). A Ferris wheel (also known as an observation wheel or big wheel) is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars (sometimes referred to as gondolas or… …   Wikipedia

  • Ferris Wheel — This article is about the original 1893 Chicago Ferris Wheel. For the generic term, see Ferris wheel. For other uses, see Ferris wheel (disambiguation). The original Ferris Wheel, sometimes also referred to as the Chicago Wheel,[1][2][3] was the… …   Wikipedia

  • Ferris Wheel —    The architectural planner for the World s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893 was Daniel H. Burnham. He wanted the exposition to have a native focal point so attractive that it would surpass the Eiffel Tower, which had been built for the… …   Dictionary of eponyms

  • ferris wheel — [[t]fe̱rɪs wiːl[/t]] ferris wheels N COUNT A ferris wheel is a very large upright wheel with carriages around the edge of it which people can ride in. Ferris wheels are often found at theme parks or funfairs. [AM] (in BRIT, use big wheel) …   English dictionary

  • ferris wheel — UK [ˈferɪs ˌwiːl] / US [ˈferɪs ˌwɪl] noun [countable] Word forms ferris wheel : singular ferris wheel plural ferris wheels mainly American a big wheel at a fairground …   English dictionary

  • Ferris wheel — /ˈfɛrəs wil/ (say feruhs weel) noun an amusement device at fairs, etc., consisting of a large upright wheel rotating about a fixed axis with seats suspended at intervals around its rim. Also, ferris wheel. {named after GWG Ferris, 1859–96, US… …  

  • Ferris Wheel of Berlin — may refer to:* Ferris Wheel of Berlin (German: Berliner Riesenrad) a transportable Ferris wheel of ride operator Lorenz. Lorenz has a second Ferris wheel of the same size, called Star of Berlin.* Great Berlin Wheel a proposed 185 metre Ferris… …   Wikipedia

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