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

According to a survey by the China Automobile Dealers Association, just 30% of car dealers were profitable in the first half of the year and almost three quarters sold at least some cars below cost.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Norris has a chance to get ahead, but as he pointed out, the McLaren has not looked like a Verstappen-beating car at any point this weekend.

Read more on BBC

Intelligence operatives working with Cuban counterintelligence agents reward those who betray conspirators with jobs, money, cars and even homes, said Edward Rodríguez, a former army colonel who fled Venezuela and lives in exile.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The young singer has yet to publicly comment on the case or the grim discovery in his car.

Read more on BBC

"There are still things we need to understand from this car, there is too much of a swing without changing much the car."

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.