tumbrel

or tum·bril

[ tuhm-bruhl ]

noun

1. one of the carts used during the French Revolution to convey victims to the guillotine.
2. a farmer's cart, especially one for hauling manure, that can be tilted to discharge its load.
3. Obsolete. a two-wheeled covered cart accompanying artillery for carrying tools, ammunition, etc.

tumbrel

/ ˈtʌmbrəl /

noun

1. a farm cart for carrying dung, esp one that tilts backwards to deposit its load. A cart of this type was used to take condemned prisoners to the guillotine during the French Revolution
2. (formerly) a covered cart that accompanied artillery in order to carry ammunition, tools, etc
3. an obsolete word for a ducking stool

Word History and Origins

Origin of tumbrel¹

1275–1325; Middle English tumberell ducking stool < Medieval Latin tumberellus < Old French tumberel dump-cart, equivalent to tombe ( r ) to fall ( tumble ) + -rel -rel

Word History and Origins

Origin of tumbrel¹

C14 tumberell ducking stool, from Medieval Latin tumbrellum from Old French tumberel dump cart, from tomber to tumble, of Germanic origin

Example Sentences

If commoners' living standards slip—not relative to the elites, but relative to what they had before—they accept the overtures of the counter-elites and start oiling the axles of their tumbrels.

From Salon

Obama’s failure to go big and to send the tumbrels rolling down Wall Street certainly greased the runway for Donald Trump.

From New York Times

Yet — while reserving the right to change my position should the tumbrel come for me — I’m not sure this is the Khmer Rouge moment that it’s made out to be.

From Washington Post

“Mr Thomas the careers man came and he thinks I should do economics,” my diary records in tumbrel dread.

From The Guardian

I was the condemned young aristocrat holding my head high in the tumbrel.

From Literature

Related Words

• rickshaw
• truck
• wagon