transport

American  

[trans-pawrt, -pohrt, trans-pawrt, -pohrt] / trænsˈpɔrt, -ˈpoʊrt, ˈtræns pɔrt, -poʊrt /

verb (used with object)

transports, present (3rd person singular) transported, past participle, past transporting present participle

1. to carry, move, or convey from one place to another.

2. to carry away by strong emotion; enrapture.

3. to send into banishment, especially to a penal colony.

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noun

1. the act of transporting or conveying; conveyance.

2. a means of transporting or conveying, as a truck or bus.

3. a ship or plane employed for transporting soldiers, military stores, etc.

4. an airplane carrying freight or passengers as part of a transportation system.

5. a system of public travel.

6. transportation.

7. strong emotion; ecstatic joy, bliss, etc.

   Synonyms:

   happiness, rapture

8. a convict sent into banishment, especially to a penal colony.

   The country had been colonized largely by transports.

9. Also called tape transport.  Recording. a mechanism that moves magnetic tape past the head in a tape deck or tape recorder.

transport British  

verb

1. to carry or cause to go from one place to another, esp over some distance

2. to deport or exile to a penal colony

3. (usually passive) to have a strong emotional effect on

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noun

1. 1. the business or system of transporting goods or people

   2. ( as modifier )

      a modernized transport system

2. freight vehicles generally

3. 1. a vehicle used to transport goods or people, esp lorries or ships used to convey troops

   2. ( as modifier )

      a transport plane

4. the act of transporting or the state of being transported

5. ecstasy, rapture, or any powerful emotion

6. a convict sentenced to be transported

Synonym Usage

See carry. See ecstasy.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• countertransport
  noun
• nontransportability
  noun
• transportability
  noun
• transporter
  noun
• nontransportable
  adjective
• transportable
  adjective
• transportive
  adjective
• untransportable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• transporting
  present
• transported
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• transport
  simple
• transports
  simple
• have transported
  perfect
• has transported
  perfect
• am transporting
  progressive
• are transporting
  progressive
• is transporting
  progressive
• have been transporting
  perfect progressive
• has been transporting
  perfect progressive

Past

• transported
  simple
• had transported
  perfect
• was transporting
  progressive
• were transporting
  progressive
• had been transporting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will transport
  simple
• will have transported
  perfect
• will be transporting
  progressive
• will have been transporting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of transport

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English transporten (verb), from Latin trānsportāre “to carry across”; equivalent to trans- + port ⁵

Explanation

Transport means to move something, often large quantities of commercial products, over great distances. Container ships transport goods made in China to the U.S., where they will be sold. A pipeline can transport oil. A school bus transports children. Soldiers get their postings but then must wait for news of their transport. If you are in a hurry to get something to market, you might consider using air transport, though that's expensive. Transport is from Latin words meaning "carry across."

Example Sentences

“The future of Canada’s north depends on modern, reliable infrastructure that connects communities, strengthens our economy, and builds resilient supply chains,” said Steven MacKinnon, the country’s Transport Minister.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 24, 2026

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told the House of Commons that emergency services had acted "quickly, professionally and bravely".

From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander also paid tribute in the House of Commons on Monday.

From BBC • Jun. 23, 2026

Hunt Transport Services, one of the country’s largest intermodal providers, reported its highest-ever first-quarter domestic intermodal volume.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026

There was now an Air Transport Auxiliary ferry pool there, and Oakway had also become the biggest parachute training center in Britain.

From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein

Related Words

• bring
• carry
• ferry
• haul
• lug
• pack
• remove
• ride
• ship
• take