wagon-lit

[ French va-gawn-lee ]

noun

, plural wa·gons-lits [v, a, -gaw, n, -, lee].

1. (in continental European usage) a railroad sleeping car.

wagon-lit

/ vaɡɔ̃li /

noun

1. a sleeping car on a European railway
2. a compartment on such a car

Word History and Origins

Origin of wagon-lit¹

First recorded in 1880–85; from French, equivalent to wagon “railway coach” (from English ) + lit “bed” (from Latin lectus )

Word History and Origins

Origin of wagon-lit¹

C19: from French, from wagon railway coach + lit bed

Example Sentences

And the wagon-lit, booked to Syracuse, calmly left stranded in the station of Messina, to go no further.

From Project Gutenberg

You've made yourself pretty well at home in this wagon-lit, anyhow, taking off all your clothes and putting on your nightgown.

From Project Gutenberg

As The Sparrow lay that night in the wagon-lit he tried to sleep, but the roar and rattle of the train prevented it.

From Project Gutenberg

And he produced a batch of tickets, among which I saw coupons for reserved compartments in the wagon-lit.

From Project Gutenberg

The carriage was an ordinary "wagon-lit" converted with considerable ingenuity into a Hospital Train.

From Project Gutenberg