treadle

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

treadle
    n 1: a lever that is operated with the foot [syn: {pedal},
         {treadle}, {foot pedal}, {foot lever}]
    v 1: tread over; "the brick maker treadles over clay to pick out
         the stones"
    2: operate (machinery) by a treadle

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Treadle \Trea"dle\, n. [OE. tredyl a step, AS. tredel. See
   {Tread}.]
   1. The part of a foot lathe, or other machine, which is
      pressed or moved by the foot.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. (Biol.) The chalaza of a bird's egg; the tread.
      [1913 Webster]

from Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

43 Moby Thesaurus words for "treadle":
      advance, bar, beam, boom, bowl, bunt, butt, cant hook, claw bar,
      crank, crow, crowbar, drive, forward, handspike, impel, iron crow,
      jimmy, lever, limb, marlinespike, move, outrigger, peavey, pedal,
      pinch bar, pole, prize, propel, pry, push, ripping bar, roll, row,
      shove, shunt, spar, sweep, sweep along, thrust, troll, trundle,
      wrecking bar

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