Handbrake

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A lever or mechanism in a vehicle used to keep it stationary by applying brakes independently of the foot pedal; a control for preventing unwanted motion when parked; a mechanical device ensuring stability when the vehicle stands still
2. A manual brake system in automobiles designed to hold the vehicle in place by engaging the rear wheels; a safety feature used primarily when parking; a device preventing motion separate from the main braking system
3. A control fixture in motor vehicles operated by hand to lock the wheels and prevent rolling; an emergency or parking brake activated independently from the foot pedal; a mechanism intended to secure a vehicle when stopped or stationary

Etymology: The handbrake is about as transparent as compounds get: "hand" plus "brake," the familiar name for a device that slows or stops a moving wheel. The brake half traces back to Middle English "brake," which described a device for restraining a wheel, and the hand half is the everyday Old English word for the limb you grip with. Put together, the name simply says the brake is operated by hand rather than by foot. That distinction mattered because early motor cars often carried a hand-operated brake alongside a foot-operated one, and the two systems worked independently. The hand lever usually acted on the rear wheels, giving the driver a second way to hold the vehicle still, which is why the device is also called a parking brake or emergency brake. The name therefore describes a method of operation, not a particular mechanism, and it stuck even as the lever itself was eventually replaced by a foot pedal or an electric switch on many modern cars.

Synonyms: parking brake, emergency brake, e-brake, parking brake lever