Peleton

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A tightly grouped assembly of cyclists collaborating to minimize air resistance and maximize their speed during a competitive event
2. A collaborative formation of riders who work together to reduce wind drag and enhance their overall efficiency in races
3. A compact formation of cyclists who strategically ride together to lessen aerodynamic resistance and improve their performance during races

Etymology: The cycling sense of "peloton" grew out of an older French word for a small ball. The French "peloton" was a diminutive of "pelote," meaning ball, and it originally referred to a small ball of something, such as thread or wool. The French term was later used for a group of soldiers gathered together in a compact clump, and it is from that sense that the cycling meaning developed: a tight knot of riders bunched together, much like a ball of people. The ball image is the thread that connects the two senses. A pelote is a round mass, and a peloton is a little one, so a bunched formation of men or riders takes on that rounded, compressed shape. The cycling sense is a figurative extension of the military and general French usage, applied to the packed mass of riders that shelters its members from wind resistance.

Synonyms: group, pack