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# treadmill

«treadmill» in Mova's school dictionary: **an exercise machine with a moving belt that you walk or…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

noun (a treadmill, treadmills)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A treadmill is an exercise machine with a moving belt that you walk or run on without going anywhere. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/treadmill/#m1)

2) (figurative) A treadmill is a boring routine of work that goes on and on and never seems to get anywhere. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/treadmill/#m2)

3) (history) A treadmill was a large wheel turned by people or animals walking on it, used to grind grain or pump water, and in Victorian prisons as a punishment. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/treadmill/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

Health and PE: treadmills at gyms let people run indoors; you can set speed and slope. Safety: children should not use treadmills without an adult — fingers and clothes can get caught. History: Victorian prisoners were made to walk the treadmill for hours. Everyday talk: «I'm stuck on the treadmill» means my life feels like the same tiring work every day.

### examples

- Mum runs on the treadmill when it is raining. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/treadmill/#x1)
- The treadmill was set to a slow walk. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/treadmill/#x2)
- Victorian prisoners had to walk on the treadmill. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/treadmill/#x3)
- He felt his job was a never-ending treadmill. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/treadmill/#x4)
- Keep fingers away from a moving treadmill. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/treadmill/#x5)
- Vets use underwater treadmills to help dogs recover. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/treadmill/#x6)
- How long and wearisome the time appeared; it was like being in a treadmill. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/treadmill/#x7)

### note

Countable, one word. From «tread» (to step) + «mill». Similar: running machine (UK).

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «treadmill» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/treadmill/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.