Link Centre Dictionary

treadmill

tread·mill

UK/ˈtɹɛd.mɪl/ US/ˈtrɛˌdmɪl/ uncommon

noun

1.

an exercise device consisting of an endless belt on which a person can walk or jog without changing place

2.

a mill that is powered by men or animals walking on a circular belt or climbing steps

Synonyms
3.

a job involving drudgery and confinement

Synonyms

Origin

From tread + mill. Its figurative senses refer to the idea that running on a treadmill requires continued effort and motion to remain in the same place.

Phrases

  • euphemism treadmill
  • hedonic treadmill
  • Red Queen hypothesis

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.