car

1 of 2

noun

ˈkär How to pronounce car (audio)
 dialectal also  ˈkȯr,
ˈkyär
1
: a vehicle moving on wheels: such as
a
archaic : carriage, chariot
b
: a vehicle designed to move on rails (as of a railroad)
The train has 20 cars.
c
: automobile
traveled to Boston by car
2
: the passenger compartment of an elevator
3
: the part of an airship or balloon that carries the passengers and cargo

CAR

2 of 2

abbreviation

civil air regulations

Examples of car in a Sentence

Noun I'll wait in the car. He got into the car and drove away. She bought a new car.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Greg was in our shop in 2022 when our team started pulling down his ARCA car. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024 The damage will be felt for years to come both within China and in countries that relied on strong Chinese demand to export their cars, commodities, and services. Daniel H. Rosen, Foreign Affairs, 17 Dec. 2024 By the end of my visit, locals were welcoming me into their artist studios, buying me ice cream at Growler’s (a must-stop shop), and stopping their cars to offer me a ride in the rain. Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Dec. 2024 For high-stakes purchases such as cars or luxury goods, these technologies allow consumers to interact with products in ways that feel tangible and immersive. Astrid Pocklington, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for car 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English carre "cart, wagon, small cartload," borrowed from Anglo-French carre, charre, going back to Late Latin carra, plural of carrum "vehicle, cart," going back to Latin, neuter variant of carrus "a kind of Gaulish wagon," borrowed from the Gaulish outcome of Celtic *kr̥s-o-, whence also Old Irish carr "cart, wagon," Welsh car "vehicle" — more at current entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of car was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near car

Cite this Entry

“Car.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/car. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

car

noun
1
: a vehicle (as an automobile or part of a passenger train) moving on wheels
2
: the passenger compartment of an elevator
3
: the part of a balloon or an airship that carries the passengers and equipment

More from Merriam-Webster on car

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