car

¹

[kahr]

noun

1. an automobile.

2. a vehicle running on rails, as a streetcar or railroad car.

3. the part of an elevator, balloon, modern airship, etc., that carries the passengers, freight, etc.

4. British Dialect.,  any wheeled vehicle, as a farm cart or wagon.

5. Literary.,  a chariot, as of war or triumph.

6. Archaic.,  cart; carriage.

car

²

[kahr]

adjective

Chiefly Scot.

1. left-handed.

2. sinister.

CAR

³

1. computer-assisted retrieval.

car.

⁴

abbreviation

1. carat; carats.

car

¹

/ kɑː /

noun

1. 1. Also called: motorcar.  automobile. a self-propelled road vehicle designed to carry passengers, esp one with four wheels that is powered by an internal-combustion engine

   2. ( as modifier )

      car coat

2. a conveyance for passengers, freight, etc, such as a cable car or the carrier of an airship or balloon

3. a railway vehicle for passengers only, such as a sleeping car or buffet car

4. a railway carriage or van

5. the enclosed platform of a lift

6. a poetic word for chariot

CAR

²

abbreviation

1. compound annual return

Other Word Forms

• carless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of car¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English carre, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin carra (feminine singular), from Latin, neuter plural of carrum, variant of carrus “baggage cart, freight wagon,” from Gaulish; akin to Old Irish carr “wheeled vehicle”

Origin of car²

First recorded in 1375–1425; Middle English ( Scots ), from Scots Gaelic ceàrr “false, left, wrong”

Origin of car³

First recorded in 1980–85

Word History and Origins

Origin of car¹

C14: from Anglo-French carre, ultimately related to Latin carra, carrum two-wheeled wagon, probably of Celtic origin; compare Old Irish carr

Example Sentences

Many say the path once assumed to be attainable — a stable job, graduate school, a car, an apartment and steady lifestyle upgrades — feels increasingly out of reach.

Read more on MarketWatch

Sticker shock is hitting car buyers as the U.S. broadly faces what many consider to be a growing affordability crisis.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“My love for the band is now moving on to other generations. To have my son want to play their music in the car without me asking, I’m like, ‘Wait, you like Maná?’

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Kastrati was earlier acquitted of charges of breach of the peace, stealing a car and motoring offences when the prosecution withdrew the charges.

Read more on BBC

But she claims their way was blocked by cars belonging to people working for her ex-husband.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• auto 
• automobile 
• bus 
• convertible 
• jeep 
• limousine 
• machine 
• motor 
• pickup 
• ride 
• station wagon 
• truck 
• van 
• wagon 

When To Use

What else does car mean?

To most of us on the outside, a car is a vehicle with a motor and four wheels. But in prison slang, your car is your crew, especially when it comes to drugs, protection, and money-making.