hitchhike
part of speech
verb (hitchhike, hitchhikes, hitchhiked, hitchhiking); noun (hitchhiker — the person)
meaning for a pupil
1) To travel by standing at the side of the road and asking drivers for a free ride, often by holding up your thumb. tree →
2) (figurative) For a small creature or seed to travel by clinging to something else, as in «seeds hitchhike on your socks». tree →
sense in the lessons
In safety lessons children learn never to hitchhike or get into a stranger's car. In science, seeds and tiny animals are said to «hitchhike» on fur, clothes or boats — that is how some plants spread. In stories it shows someone travelling with no money. Short form: hitch a ride, hitch (informal).
examples
- Never hitchhike or take a lift from a stranger. tree →
- Burrs hitchhike on a dog's fur. tree →
- In the film, two students hitchhiked across the country. tree →
- Some insects hitchhike on ships to new countries. tree →
- He stood by the road trying to hitchhike. tree →
- The hitchhiker held up a sign saying «North». tree →
- Seeds hitchhiked home on my socks after the walk. tree →
note
Regular: hitchhiked. The person is a hitchhiker. Informal: «hitch a ride», «thumb a lift» (UK). Safety: hitchhiking is dangerous for children and in many places not allowed on motorways.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «hitchhike» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.