vehicle

[ vee-i-kuhl or, sometimes, vee-hi- ]

See synonyms for: vehicle vehicles on Thesaurus.com

noun

any means in or by which someone travels or something is carried or conveyed; a means of conveyance or transport: a motor vehicle; space vehicles.
a conveyance moving on wheels, runners, tracks, or the like, as a cart, sled, automobile, or tractor.

a means of transmission or passage: Air is the vehicle of sound.
a carrier, as of infection.
a medium of communication, expression, or display: The novel is a fitting vehicle for his talents. Language is the vehicle of thought.
Theater, Movies. a play, screenplay, or the like, having a role suited to the talents of and often written for a specific performer.
a means of accomplishing a purpose: College is a vehicle for success.
Rhetoric. the thing or idea to which the subject of a metaphor is compared, as “rose” in “she is a rose.”: Compare tenor (def. 3).
Pharmacology. a substance, usually fluid, possessing little or no medicinal action, used as a medium for active remedies.
Painting. a liquid, as oil, in which a pigment is mixed before being applied to a surface.

Origin of vehicle

First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin vehiculum, from veh(ere) “to carry, convey, ride” + -i- -i- + -culum -cle²

pronunciation note For vehicle

Because the primary stress in vehicle is on the first syllable, the

[h] /h/ in the second syllable tends to disappear:

[vee-i-kuhl]. /ˈvi ɪ kəl/. A pronunciation with primary stress on the second syllable and a fully pronounced [h] /h/ is usually considered nonstandard: [vee-hik-uhl]. /viˈhɪk əl/. In the adjective vehicular, where the primary stress is normally on the second syllable, the [h] /h/ is always pronounced.

Words Nearby vehicle

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use vehicle in a sentence

Demand, however, is beginning to tick back up in Asia, where its annual vehicle sales are expected to be up 8% over 2019.
‘A credible voice’: Why Honda is doubling down on esports | Lara O'Reilly | September 16, 2020 | Digiday
In 2014, we launched the Include program as a donation vehicle.
The 2019 TechCrunch Include Report | Henry Pickavet | September 11, 2020 | TechCrunch
Disrupt is a vehicle for success for all who are playing the startup game.
Five more reasons you should attend Disrupt 2020 | Alexandra Ames | September 11, 2020 | TechCrunch
Further questions about Nikola’s prior battery claims were raised by a Tuesday announcement that Nikola would use battery technology licensed from General Motors in vehicles including its upcoming Badger pickup truck.
New report claims widespread deception by Nikola Motor and founder Trevor Milton | dzanemorris | September 10, 2020 | Fortune
Maybe drivers will be more willing than we think to spend some extra money for a plug-in vehicle.
Uber Wants to Go All-Electric by 2030. It Won’t Be Easy | Vanessa Bates Ramirez | September 10, 2020 | Singularity Hub

They tried to continue their getaway but had to quickly abandon their vehicle on the Rue de Meaux in the 19th.
Police Hunt for Paris Massacre Suspects | Tracy McNicoll, Christopher Dickey | January 7, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
Eventually Morrow was released with no money, vehicle, or phone.
Are Police Stealing People’s Property? | Joan Blades, Matt Kibbe | January 2, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
Right now, former Virginia Senator James Webb may prove the best vehicle for dino-Democratic ideas.
Time to Bring Back the Truman Democrats | Joel Kotkin | December 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
KSM enters the complex through a “Sally Port,” a series of gates designed to allow just one vehicle in at a time.
9/11 Mastermind Is Afraid of the Ladies | Tim Mak | December 16, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
In front of its offices in Donetsk, there is an armored military vehicle.
The Corrupt Cops of Rebel-Held East Ukraine | Kristina Jovanovski | December 11, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
But first he held a whispered colloquy with the Princess, whom he entreated, or persuaded, to re-enter her gorgeous vehicle.
The Red Year | Louis Tracy
Not but that a cabriolet is a good vehicle of its sort: I know of few more comfortable.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 372, October 1846 | Various
The rapid vehicle once more passed over the draw-bridge and wheeled down the declivity through the town.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4 | Jane Porter
Several sentinels drew around the vehicle, with demands whence it came, and what was the object of the persons it contained.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4 | Jane Porter
When the owner can afford it, an ample supply of cushions and shawls makes the clumsy vehicle more comfortable for its occupant.
Our Little Korean Cousin | H. Lee M. Pike

British Dictionary definitions for vehicle

vehicle

/ (ˈviːɪkəl) /

noun

any conveyance in or by which people or objects are transported, esp one fitted with wheels
a medium for the expression, communication, or achievement of ideas, information, power, etc

pharmacol a therapeutically inactive substance mixed with the active ingredient to give bulk to a medicine
Also called: base a painting medium, such as oil, in which pigments are suspended
(in the performing arts) a play, musical composition, etc, that enables a particular performer to display his talents
a rocket excluding its payload

Origin of vehicle

C17: from Latin vehiculum, from vehere to carry

Derived forms of vehicle

vehicular (vɪˈhɪkjʊlə), adjective

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

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