wheel horse
Americannoun
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Also called wheeler. a horse, or one of the horses, harnessed behind others and nearest the front wheels of a vehicle.
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Chiefly South Atlantic States. the left-hand horse of a pair hitched to a wagon or plow.
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Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. a reliable, diligent, and strong worker.
noun
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another word for wheeler
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a person who works steadily or hard
Etymology
Origin of wheel horse
First recorded in 1700–10
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.
“It’s a new economy and a new way of life, and the origins are the invention of the wheel, horse riding, and dairying.”
From Science Magazine ● Sep. 15, 2021
Another candidate is Education Minister Jan de Klerk, 63, a party wheel horse with a powerful following in the Transvaal.
From Time Magazine Archive
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Last week, with Brooklyn trying desperately to overhaul the front-running St. Louis Cardinals, Newcombe was wheel horse of the Dodger staff.
From Time Magazine Archive
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Representative Henry Bascom Steagall of Alabama, smalltown lawyer and Democratic wheel horse since 1902.
From Time Magazine Archive
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Went into camp in the first field we saw for five miles, and that was deserted. 4th Platoon wheel horse fell dead to-night before it came to camp.
From An Artilleryman's Diary by Jenkins Lloyd Jones
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