carriage

American  

[kar-ij, kar-ee-ij] / ˈkær ɪdʒ, ˈkær i ɪdʒ /

noun

carriages plural

1. a wheeled vehicle for conveying persons, as one drawn by horses and designed for comfort and elegance.

   Synonyms:

   wagon, car, cart

2. baby carriage.

3. British. a railway passenger coach.

4. a wheeled support, as for a cannon.

5. a movable part, as of a machine, designed for carrying something.

6. manner of carrying the head and body; bearing.

   the carriage of a soldier.

   Synonyms:

   air, demeanor, comportment, mien

7. Also called carriage piece,.  Also called horse.  an inclined beam, as a string, supporting the steps of a stair.

8. the act of transporting; conveyance.

   the expenses of carriage.

9. the price or cost of transportation.

10. (in a typewriter) the moving part carrying the platen and its associated parts, usually set in motion to carry the paper across the point where the print element or type bars strike.

11. management; administration.

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carriage British  

/ ˈkærɪdʒ /

noun

1. a railway coach for passengers

2. the manner in which a person holds and moves his head and body; bearing

3. a four-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle for persons

4. the moving part of a machine that bears another part

   a typewriter carriage

   a lathe carriage

5. 1. the act of conveying; carrying

   2. the charge made for conveying (esp in the phrases carriage forward, when the charge is to be paid by the receiver, and carriage paid )

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• carriages
  plural

Etymology

Origin of carriage

1150–1200; Middle English cariage < Anglo-French, Old North French, equivalent to cari ( er ) to carry + -age -age

Explanation

A carriage is a vehicle with wheels that's usually pulled by horses. In some cities, you can go for a carriage ride through the park. A carriage generally has four wheels and is pulled by two or more horses, while the smaller cart tends to have two wheels and be pulled by a single horse. In Britain, you might hear people refer to the separate compartments of a train as carriages as well, and in some parts of the US it's used to mean "baby stroller" or "grocery cart." The Latin root is carrum, "two-wheeled war chariot."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

carriage carriages

As passengers chanted the incantation together, white light flashed through the carriage, and music swelled from the speakers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

Back then, Supreme Court justices “rode circuit”—they literally rode horses or traveled by carriage to hear cases within the circuit they oversaw.

From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026

Esme says her friend moved her down the carriage, and when they reached Stratford they went straight to police who were stationed on the platform.

From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026

The incident prompted an immediate pause in carriage operations while city agencies and law enforcement investigate what led to the horse bolting.

From Salon ● Jun. 20, 2026

When the horses drew up to the graveyard’s towering iron gates, she descended the carriage steps, and greeted the cemetery’s watchman.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Engineers have built a temporary road and installed a crane which has been lifting carriages from the Corby to London Luton Airport Express train from the tracks.

From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026

Supporters of the industry have pushed back against ban efforts in the past, arguing that carriages are a regulated tourist staple and a key part of Central Park’s identity and local economy.

From Salon ● Jun. 20, 2026

The fare rise will only apply to Hackney carriages – taxis that can be hailed on the street or hired from a rank.

From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026

The maskers needed custom-made costumes—especially Venetian-style “domino” cloaks—as well as wax masks and hired carriages.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

Wagons and carriages rumbled down the streets, stirring up clouds of flies from the manure left to broil in the July sun.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

Related Words

• freight