four-wheel drive
Americannoun
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a drive system in which engine power is transmitted to all four wheels for improved traction.
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a vehicle having such a system. 4WD
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of four-wheel drive
First recorded in 1925–30
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And in rallying they were famous for introducing four-wheel drive with the iconic Quattro in the early 1980s.
From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026
New South Wales police said on Friday that one man was missing after his four-wheel drive was swept into a fast-flowing river.
From BBC • Mar. 7, 2025
The rental van was four-wheel drive, but I creeped.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 5, 2024
The Colorado gets slightly lower estimates, with a base four-cylinder rated at 22 mpg combined for rear-wheel drive or 20 mpg combined for four-wheel drive.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 5, 2024
“I hope you guys have a four-wheel drive or something,” I said.
From "100 Sideways Miles" by Andrew Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
