car

¹ American  

[kahr] / kɑr /

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.

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car ² American  

[kahr] / kɑr /

adjective

Chiefly Scot.

1. left-handed.

2. sinister.

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CAR ³ American  

1. computer-assisted retrieval.

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car. ⁴ American  

abbreviation

1. carat; carats.

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car ¹ British  

/ 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

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CAR ² British  

abbreviation

1. compound annual return

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Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

• carless adjective

Etymology

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

Example Sentences

When driving the wrong car to work can get you a ticket.

From The Wall Street Journal

Shift work disorder is linked to a range of serious concerns, including reduced mental sharpness, lower productivity, increased risk of car accidents, and more workplace injuries.

From Science Daily

The winners now plan to use their £66,666 share on paying off mortgages, holidays, house renovations and new cars.

From BBC

The outage is not the first time self-driving cars have faced technical difficulties.

From BBC

Birol said recommendations from the agency to member countries have included encouragement of working from home, reducing speed limits for cars and providing financial support to vulnerable people.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

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