half-track

American  

[haf-trak, hahf-] / ˈhæfˌtræk, ˈhɑf- /

Or halftrack

noun

1. a caterpillar tread that runs over and under the rear or driving wheels of a vehicle but is not connected with the forward wheels: used especially on military vehicles.

2. a motor vehicle with rear driving wheels on caterpillar treads.

3. Military. an armored vehicle equipped with half-tracks.

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half-track British  

noun

1. a vehicle with caterpillar tracks on the wheels that supply motive power only

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Other Word Forms

• half-tracked
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of half-track

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

half-track

He scrambled out of his half-track and hid behind a well.

From Seattle Times ● May 29, 2024

An M-3 tank and a half-track rumbled into Sixth Avenue.

From Time Magazine Archive

In Michigan, Governor George Romney donned a Cossack hat, commandeered a lumbering National Guard half-track and, grandly manning the turret, cried out encouragement to the citizenry as he rode to the state capitol.

From Time Magazine Archive

I could also hear the clank of a track vehicle and realized that it was a tank or half-track of some kind.

From Time Magazine Archive

Ishmael was commandeered to help dig free a half-track that had been deposited on Betio by a tank lighter and had promptly buried itself.

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson