What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Sprocket vs Derailleur - What's the difference?

sprocket | derailleur |

As nouns the difference between sprocket and derailleur

is that sprocket is a toothed wheel that enmeshes with a chain or other perforated band while derailleur is the mechanism on a bicycle used to move the chain from one sprocket (gear) to another.

sprocket

English

(wikipedia sprocket)

Alternative forms

* (l)

Noun

(en noun)
  • A toothed wheel that enmeshes with a chain or other perforated band.
  • (usually, in the plural) The tooth of such a wheel.
  • (architecture) A flared extension at the base of a sloped roof.
  • A (placeholder name) for an unnamed, unspecified, or hypothetical manufactured good or product.
    • Suppose we have a widget factory that produces 100 widgets per year, and a sprocket factory that produces 200 sprockets per year.

    Usage notes

    Although sprockets are sometimes referred to as gears , there is a technical distinction between the two: sprockets interact with chains, whereas gears interact with other gears.

    Synonyms

    * (placeholder name) widget

    Derived terms

    * sprocket wheel

    See also

    * (wikipedia "sprocket")

    derailleur

    English

    Noun

    (en noun) (wikipedia derailleur)
  • The mechanism on a bicycle used to move the chain from one sprocket (gear) to another.
  • The entire gearset on a bicycle with such a mechanism.