1. Early bicycles with solid wooden or iron wheels that transmitted vibrations and shocks to the rider.
Usage: historical; plural form; chiefly British
2. Vehicles, especially old cars or buses, that are uncomfortable to ride in because they shake or vibrate excessively.
Usage: informal; plural form

Examples

• The museum displayed several boneshakers from the 1860s, showing how early cyclists endured rough rides.
• Those old boneshakers were called that because riders felt every bump in the road.
• The tour bus was such a boneshaker that passengers complained about the constant rattling.
• Before pneumatic tires were invented, boneshakers were the only option for bicycle enthusiasts.
• He joked that his ancient pickup truck was a boneshaker that needed serious suspension work.
• Victorian ladies had to be quite brave to ride boneshakers in their long skirts.
• The antique boneshakers on display showed the evolution of bicycle design over a century.