char-à-banc

or char·a·banc

[ shar-uh-bang, -bangk; French sha-ra-bahn ]

noun

, British.

, plural char-à-bancs [-bangz, -bangks, sh, a, -, r, a, -, bahn].

1. a large bus used on sightseeing tours, especially one with open sides and no center aisle.

Word History and Origins

Origin of char-à-banc¹

1810–20; back formation from French char-à-bancs literally, car with benches, the -s being taken as plural ending of word as a whole

Example Sentences

Send to Pere Cognette for a horse and a char-a-banc, and say we want them instantly: they must be here in five minutes.

From Project Gutenberg

A blackboard announced in white chalk: “Two hours drive two shillings,” and the congregation in the char-a-banc had that stamp.

From Project Gutenberg

He was looking about him from right to left, but he never looked once at the char-a-banc and its contents.

From Project Gutenberg

A whole char-a-banc-ful of people turned and stared at us in unison after the manner of people in chars-a-banc.

From Project Gutenberg

After an excellent lunch at the town hotel we left by motors and char-a-banc for the field hospitals.

From Project Gutenberg