carriage
Americannoun
-
carriages
plural
-
a wheeled vehicle for conveying persons, as one drawn by horses and designed for comfort and elegance.
-
British. a railway passenger coach.
-
a wheeled support, as for a cannon.
-
a movable part, as of a machine, designed for carrying something.
-
manner of carrying the head and body; bearing.
the carriage of a soldier.
- Synonyms:
- air, demeanor, comportment, mien
-
Also called carriage piece, horse. an inclined beam, as a string, supporting the steps of a stair.
-
the act of transporting; conveyance.
the expenses of carriage.
-
the price or cost of transportation.
-
(in a typewriter) the moving part carrying the platen and its associated parts, usually set in motion to carry the paper across the point where the print element or type bars strike.
-
management; administration.
noun
-
a railway coach for passengers
-
the manner in which a person holds and moves his head and body; bearing
-
a four-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle for persons
-
the moving part of a machine that bears another part
a typewriter carriage
a lathe carriage
-
-
the act of conveying; carrying
-
the charge made for conveying (esp in the phrases carriage forward, when the charge is to be paid by the receiver, and carriage paid )
-
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of carriage
1150–1200; Middle English cariage < Anglo-French, Old North French, equivalent to cari ( er ) to carry + -age -age
Explanation
A carriage is a vehicle with wheels that's usually pulled by horses. In some cities, you can go for a carriage ride through the park. A carriage generally has four wheels and is pulled by two or more horses, while the smaller cart tends to have two wheels and be pulled by a single horse. In Britain, you might hear people refer to the separate compartments of a train as carriages as well, and in some parts of the US it's used to mean "baby stroller" or "grocery cart." The Latin root is carrum, "two-wheeled war chariot."
Vocabulary lists containing carriage
Greetings, World Traveler! — List 3
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Strike A Pose: Positions and Posture
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Sound and the Fury
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Despite this, Phoebe was not told the carriage she was directed to would stop beyond the platform, leaving her unable to use a ramp to get off.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
A horse pulling a carriage passes a church in Baracoa, on Cuba’s eastern tip.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
In one image, Ali rides in a bicycle carriage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
The two companies will also separately negotiate carriage fees with cable providers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
Old Timothy drove them to the train station in the landau carriage with the roof up, as the sky threatened rain.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
![]()
Chandeliers, poetry and flower arches decorate a government marriage registry, and officials hope baby carriages will follow.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
Photographs later emerged showing passengers leaving the crashed train, with French media reporting that three carriages overturned.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
Video posted on social media, external showed carriages that did not derail being transported through Lewes station overnight, as recovery work continues at the site.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Preparations were being made on Friday for the use of a crane to remove the derailed carriages.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
“Mother, Father, may I introduce Lady Lela, my new friend and acquaintance from Bast, where the carriages are orange.”
From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine
![]()
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.