Pedal

Distinguish from paddle and petal and the verb peddle.

The word pedal comes from the Latin (pes, Pedis) and relates to the foot.

A pedal is a lever activated by one's foot. The term "foot pedal" is redundant, and should be avoided. Examples include:

In Transport:

• Automobile pedal
• Bicycle pedal
• Pedalo, a small boat, usually used for recreational purposes, powered by pedals
• Rudder pedals, controlling aircraft rudders

In Music:

• Piano pedals
• Pedal keyboard, on pipe and electronic organs, which contains approximately one dozen to three dozen pedals that resemble the keyboards (or "manuals"); when one of these pedals is depressed, it causes a note (or group of notes) to sound
• Pedal harp, the modern orchestral harp with pedals used to change the tuning of its strings
• Effects pedal, used commonly for electric guitars
• Pedal point, a type of nonchord tone, usually in the bass
• Pedal tone, a fundamental tone played on brass instruments

In Geometry:

• Pedal triangle, a triangle obtained by projecting a point onto the sides of a triangle
• Pedal curve, a curve derived by construction from a given curve