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observation car

American  

noun

  1. a railroad passenger car having a lounge or platform from which the scenery can be viewed.


observation car British  

noun

  1. a railway carriage fitted with large expanses of glass to provide a good view of the scenery

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of observation car

An Americanism dating back to 1870–75

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.

See Examples For:

I dropped my bag at my assigned seat and made my way to the observation car with a couple snacks and coffee in hand.

From Los Angeles Times Mar. 7, 2024

After pulling off our Chipotle drop, we started chatting with a man sitting a few seats away from us in the observation car.

From Los Angeles Times Dec. 1, 2022

By the time we got to Van Nuys 15 minutes later, the woman running the cafe in the observation car announced that she was open for business, so we made our way over.

From Los Angeles Times Dec. 1, 2022

Aside from the observation car, the train’s other social hub is the dining car.

From New York Times Jul. 18, 2022

Till long after midnight noisy feet straggled intermittently to and from the observation car.

From Linda Lee, Incorporated A Novel by Louis Joseph Vance

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