hansom
Americannoun
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a low-hung, two-wheeled, covered vehicle drawn by one horse, for two passengers, with the driver being mounted on an elevated seat behind and the reins running over the roof.
-
any similar horse-drawn vehicle.
noun
Etymology
Origin of hansom
1850–55; named after J. A. Hansom (1803–82), English architect who designed it
Explanation
A hansom is an old-fashioned carriage that's pulled by a horse. There are still some cities where you can find a hansom to ride in for fun, but it's no longer the fastest way to get where you're going. In the 1830s, the hansom, also called a hansom cab, was the latest way to get get around in busy cities. It was smaller than conventional horse-drawn carriages, which had four wheels and at least two horses. With only two wheels and a low center of gravity, hansoms were safe, light and agile, and could be pulled by just one horse. A man named Joseph Hansom patented what he dubbed the "Hansom safety cab" in 1834.
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.
Maybe not: A hansom cab struggles through the snowdrifts to deliver the recently widowed Lady Glendenning to 221B Baker Street.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 14, 2025
Donald Pepper formed a special connection with a retired Philadelphia hansom cab horse.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 28, 2022
A team of stagehands and handlers attached Lord’s hansom cab, and Musetta and her paramour loaded into it, with their prop shopping packages.
From New York Times ● May 17, 2022
Being so late, he probably hailed a hansom cab to take him to his workshop.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2015
Frankie wanted to hail a hansom cab, but instead, I forced the two of us to walk to the nearest tram stop, the way Yakov would have done.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
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