wheelbarrow
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
Etymology
Origin of wheelbarrow
Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at wheel, barrow 1
Explanation
A wheelbarrow is a garden tool that's used to transport piles of dirt, weeds, or any other small load. If you have a big pile of sand to move, we recommend using a wheelbarrow. Most wheelbarrows are little carts with two long handles and one wheel in front, designed so that one person can more easily move a heavy load on their own. The very oldest evidence of wheelbarrows comes from ancient China, where a mural painted on the walls of a tomb around 118 AD includes a figure pushing a wheelbarrow. The word itself is a 14th-century variation on barrow, "flat frame with handles for carrying a load."
Vocabulary lists containing wheelbarrow
Chinese History - Introductory
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Chinese History - Middle School and High School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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.
A neighbour even helped him put her in a wheelbarrow to push her inside.
From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026
"I came on Tuesday. I live a 30-minute walk away, and I take the sacks back with that," he said, pointing to the wheelbarrow he acquired for the purpose.
From Barron's • Feb. 16, 2026
On the following day, Williams honored her sports skills by hosting volleyball, tennis, dodgeball, wheelbarrow races, and pickleball games.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 29, 2025
They then dropped it out the window, carried it across the river bridge in a wheelbarrow and fled in a car parked near the embankment.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 13, 2025
Turner would push a wheelbarrow up to the front steps, go into the house, and grab whatever she had piled at the foot of the stairs.
From "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy" by Gary D. Schmidt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
