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cabriolet

[kab-ree-uh-ley]
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noun
  1. a light, two-wheeled, one-horse carriage with a folding top, capable of seating two persons.
  2. an automobile resembling a coupe but with a folding top.
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Origin of cabriolet

1760–70; < French: literally, little caper; so called from its light movement. See cabriole, -et
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for cabriolet

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • I hired here, at a good price, a Hindu cabriolet, from a Kachmyrian.

  • With that he sprang into the cabriolet without waiting for a reply.

    Scaramouche

    Rafael Sabatini

  • Although his cabriolet was already at the door, he had a few minutes to spare.

    Scaramouche

    Rafael Sabatini

  • What's this heavy old coach with a cabriolet over the rumble?

  • I would not have bartered the place in that cabriolet for the proudest throne in Europe.

    A Day's Ride

    Charles James Lever

British Dictionary definitions for cabriolet

cabriolet

noun
  1. a small two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage with two seats and a folding hood
  2. a former name for a drophead coupé
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Word Origin

C18: from French, literally: a little skip, from cabriole, from Latin capreolus wild goat, from caper goat; referring to the lightness of movement
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for cabriolet

n.

"light two-wheeled chaise," 1766, from French cabriolet (18c.), derivative of cabriole (see cab). So called from its light, leaping motion.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper