sidecar

American  

[sahyd-kahr] / ˈsaɪdˌkɑr /

noun

1. a small car attached on one side to a motorcycle and supported on the other side by a wheel of its own, used for a passenger, parcels, etc.

2. a cocktail made with brandy, orange liqueur, and lemon juice.

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sidecar British  

/ ˈsaɪdˌkɑː /

noun

1. a small car attached on one side to a motorcycle, usually for one passenger, the other side being supported by a single wheel

2. a cocktail containing brandy with equal parts of Cointreau and lemon juice

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Etymology

Origin of sidecar

First recorded in 1880–85; side ¹ + car ¹

Example Sentences

At one man's request, the agency devised a "Mission Impossible" production for an adventurous young woman: an iPad delivered in the morning launched a scavenger hunt across Paris by sidecar and by boat.

From Barron's • Feb. 12, 2026

South Korean regulators had to step in again on Tuesday to quell excessive market moves, with the Korea Stock Exchange activating the so-called "sidecar" trading curb for a second day in a row.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 3, 2026

The pooch wore special dog goggles—called doggles—for a trip in the bike’s sidecar.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 28, 2025

Alongside is a sidecar of vanilla-tonka bean maple syrup, heady with the almond-y, fresh-hay scent of coumarin — a naturally occurring chemical in the seeds of the kumaru tree.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 3, 2024

Everything but the seat of the bike and the sidecar bench was covered in flowers.

From "Stargirl" by Jerry Spinelli