car

1 of 2

noun

ˈkär How to pronounce car (audio)
dialectal also ˈkȯr, 
ˈkyär
Synonyms of carnext
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

Synonyms of car

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Noun

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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
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Noun
Unlike Chinese peers such as Xpeng and Xiaomi, Huawei doesn't make cars itself, but its HarmonyOS system essentially provides the brains for the body. — New Atlas, 4 Aug. 2026 The heat now poses an additional danger to residents still shaken by the quake, many of whom are sleeping in their cars after their homes were damaged or destroyed. — Yumi Asada, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026 This patch of land to the west of San Sebastián feels like the most perfect place on the planet, while still being a 10-minute car ride from the center of the city. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026 Velez said her employee was outside of the bakery walking towards Aldi’s when he was approached by a car. — Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 3 Aug. 2026 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

Phrases Containing car

Rhymes for car

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Browse Nearby Words

Caquetío
car
CAR
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Cite this Entry

“Car.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/car. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

car

noun
ˈkär How to pronounce car (audio)
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

Nglish: Translation of car for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about car

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