car Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine
    machine; motorcar; automobile; auto.
    • he needs a car to get to work
  2. noun a wheeled vehicle adapted to the rails of railroad
    railroad car; railcar; railway car.
    • three cars had jumped the rails
  3. noun the compartment that is suspended from an airship and that carries personnel and the cargo and the power plant
    gondola.
  4. noun where passengers ride up and down
    elevator car.
    • the car was on the top floor
  5. noun a conveyance for passengers or freight on a cable railway
    cable car.
    • they took a cable car to the top of the mountain

WordNet

Car noun
Etymology
OF. car, char, F. cahr, fr. L. carrus, Wagon: a Celtic word; cf. W. car, Armor. karr, Ir. & Gael. carr. cf. Chariot.
Definitions
  1. A small vehicle moved on wheels; usually, one having but two wheels and drawn by one horse; a cart.
  2. A vehicle adapted to the rails of a railroad. U. S. ✍ In England a railroad passenger car is called a railway carriage; a freight car a goods wagon; a platform car a goods truck; a baggage car a van. But styles of car introduced into England from America are called cars; as, tram car. Pullman car. See Train.
  3. A chariot of war or of triumph; a vehicle of splendor, dignity, or solemnity. Poetic.
    The gilded car of day. Milton.
    The towering car, the sable steeds. Tennyson.
  4. (Astron.) The stars also called Charles's Wain, the Great Bear, or the Dipper.
    The Pleiads, Hyads, and the Northern Car. Dryden.
  5. The cage of a lift or elevator.
  6. The basket, box, or cage suspended from a ballon to contain passengers, ballast, etc.
  7. A floating perforated box for living fish. U. S.

Webster 1913