Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

horseless carriage

American  
[hawrs-lis] / ˈhɔrs lɪs /

noun

  1. an automobile.

    The horse and buggy were eventually replaced by the horseless carriage.


Etymology

Origin of horseless carriage

First recorded in 1890–95

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.

A great many investors backed the wrong horseless carriages around a century ago and lost their money.

From BBC

Horse-drawn carriages are still everywhere, but there are also noisy horseless carriages, an invention so new there’s only recently a word for them: automobiles.

From Literature

So he decided to get into the “horseless carriage” business.

From Washington Post

Benjamin argues that “electric bike” is akin to “horseless carriage,” a transitional term for a novel technology that will almost certainly evolve into something else.

From Seattle Times

Cars that burn alternative fuels — remember diesels converted to burn used French-fry oil? — have been around since the earliest days of horseless carriages.

From New York Times