cabriolet
Americannoun
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a light, two-wheeled, one-horse carriage with a folding top, capable of seating two persons.
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an automobile resembling a coupe but with a folding top.
noun
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a small two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage with two seats and a folding hood
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a former name for a drophead coupé
Etymology
Origin of cabriolet
1760–70; < French: literally, little caper; so called from its light movement. See cabriole, -et
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.
BMW decided to use the same running gear in this racing car and put it in the underpowered 327 road car to create a high-performance sports cabriolet, and that is where the 327/28 comes from.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 14, 2025
The cabriolet looks like a Champs-Élysées cruiser, and was displayed at Pebble Beach in 2015 — where it won its class and was chosen “most elegant convertible.”
From New York Times ● Apr. 9, 2020
Yes, the G Wagen is a bit obnoxious and, no, a cabriolet version doesn’t make it any more approachable or affordable.
From The Verge ● Jan. 18, 2018
The cabriolet comes with a power-operated fabric soft top; the coupe has a panoramic glass roof.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 5, 2017
Peggy was conscious of quickening heart throbs as she alighted from the cabriolet, and ascended the few steps that led to the door of the building.
From Peggy Owen at Yorktown by Madison, Lucy Foster
Definitions 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.
