transport

American  

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

verb (used with object)

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

Related Words

See carry. See ecstasy.

Other Word Forms

• countertransport noun
• nontransportability noun
• nontransportable adjective
• pretransport verb (used with object)
• transportability noun
• transportable adjective
• transporter noun
• transportive adjective
• untransportable adjective

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

In January 2025, the head of Northern Ireland's public transport operator, Translink, told a Stormont committee he had "concerns" about more taxis being allowed in some bus lanes.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

“And I think at this stage, fans couldn’t feel less welcome. I don’t think anyone this time was expecting transport to be free. But we weren’t expecting to be gouged, either.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

Find insight on TKMS, EasyJet, the Strait of Hormuz and more in the latest Market Talks covering the auto and transport sector.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

Singapore’s trade minister stated the conflict disrupted global supply chains, increasing transport costs and causing a continued economic drag.

From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026

Mike Horan with his fifty-pound field transport pack on the Okinawa military base in Japan, 1962.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge

Related Words

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