The word pedal comes from the Latin (pes, Pedis) and relates to the foot.
A pedal is a lever activated by one's foot. The term "foot pedal" is redundant, and should be avoided. Examples include:
In Transport:
- Automobile pedal
- Bicycle pedal
- Pedalo, a small boat, usually used for recreational purposes, powered by pedals
- Rudder pedals, controlling aircraft rudders
In Music:
- Piano pedals
- Pedal keyboard, on pipe and electronic organs, which contains approximately one dozen to three dozen pedals that resemble the keyboards (or "manuals"); when one of these pedals is depressed, it causes a note (or group of notes) to sound
- Pedal harp, the modern orchestral harp with pedals used to change the tuning of its strings
- Effects pedal, used commonly for electric guitars
- Pedal point, a type of nonchord tone, usually in the bass
- Pedal tone, a fundamental tone played on brass instruments
In Geometry:
- Pedal triangle, a triangle obtained by projecting a point onto the sides of a triangle
- Pedal curve, a curve derived by construction from a given curve