1759, "a journey on the back of a horse or in a vehicle," from ride (v.).
By 1815 as "a turn or spell of riding." By 1787 as "a saddle horse;" slang meaning "a motor vehicle" is recorded from 1930. The sense of "amusement park device" is from 1934.
The noun in the venery sense is from 1937. To take (someone) for a ride "tease, mislead, cheat," is first attested 1925, American English, possibly from underworld sense of "take on a car trip with intent to kill" (1927). Phrase go along for the ride in the figurative sense "join in passively" is from 1956.
A ride cymbal (1956) is used by jazz drummers for keeping up continuous rhythm, as opposed to a crash cymbal (ride as "rhythm" in jazz slang is recorded from 1936).
