front-wheel drive

American

[fruhnt hweel, -weel] / ˈfrʌnt ˌʰwil, -ˌwil /

noun

Automotive.

a drive system in which engine power is transmitted through the front wheels only.

Etymology

Origin of front-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.

It is front-wheel drive, with independent front suspension, hydraulic brakes and pop-up headlights.

From The Wall Street Journal

Hermanson: Independent evolution of quadrupedal locomotion Front-wheel drive in the bounding gait of vampire bats; Gerald G. Carter, Simon P. Ripperger, Vi Girbino, M. May Dixon, Imran Razik, Rachel A. Page, Elizabeth A. Hobson: Long-term cooperative relationships among vampire bats are not strongly predicted by their initial interactions.

From Slate

In the 1980s, it investigated problems associated with front-wheel drive cars made by General Motors and complaints about rear brakes locking up.

From The Wall Street Journal

In other words, the trains operate like an all-wheel drive rather than just a front-wheel drive.

From Science Daily

All the recalled cars have front-wheel drive.

From Seattle Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023