wagon

[ wag-uhn ]

noun

1. any of various kinds of four-wheeled vehicles designed to be pulled or having its own motor and ranging from a child's toy to a commercial vehicle for the transport of heavy loads, delivery, etc.

   Synonyms: lorry, dray, truck, wain, van, cart

2. Informal. station wagon.
3. a police van for transporting prisoners; patrol wagon:

   The fight broke up before the wagon arrived.

4. (initial capital letter) Astronomy. Charles's Wain.
5. British. a railway freight car or flatcar.
6. a baby carriage.
7. Archaic. a chariot.

verb (used with object)

1. to transport or convey by wagon.

verb (used without object)

1. Also especially British, . to proceed or haul goods by wagon:

   It was strenuous to wagon up the hill.

Wagon

¹

/ ˈwæɡən /

noun

1. the Wagon
   another name for the Plough

wagon

²

/ ˈwæɡən /

noun

1. any of various types of wheeled vehicles, ranging from carts to lorries, esp a vehicle with four wheels drawn by a horse, tractor, etc, and used for carrying crops, heavy loads, etc
2. a railway freight truck, esp an open one
3. a child's four-wheeled cart
4. a police van for transporting prisoners and those arrested
5. See station wagon
6. an obsolete word for chariot
7. off the wagon informal.
   no longer abstaining from alcoholic drinks
8. on the wagon informal.
   abstaining from alcoholic drinks

verb

1. tr to transport by wagon

Derived Forms

• ˈwagonless, adjective

Other Words From

• wagon·less adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of wagon¹

First recorded in 1505–15; from Dutch wagen; cognate with Old English wægn “farm wagon”; wain

Word History and Origins

Origin of wagon¹

C16: from Dutch wagen wain

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. fix someone's wagon, Slang. to get even with or punish someone:

   He'd better mind his own business or I'll really fix his wagon.

2. hitch one's wagon to a star, to have a high ambition, ideal, or purpose:

   It is better to hitch one's wagon to a star than to wander aimlessly through life.

3. off the / one's wagon, Slang.
   1. again drinking alcoholic beverages after a period of abstinence:

      His failure to show up at work is one more sign that he’s fallen off the wagon again.

   2. returning to an unhealthy or bad habit:

      I’m usually on a diet, but sometimes I go off my wagon.

4. on the wagon, Slang. abstaining from a current or former bad habit, as smoking, overeating, excessive drinking of alcoholic beverages, or taking drugs: Also on the water wagon; British, on the water cart.

   She's been on the wagon for a month, now, so please don't offer her a drink.

5. circle the wagons. circle ( def 23 ).

More idioms and phrases containing wagon

see fix someone's wagon ; hitch one's wagon ; on the bandwagon ; on the wagon .

Example Sentences

People whisked around Hudson pulling wagons piled high with blooms or balancing large bundles of bouquets on their shoulders.

From Los Angeles Times

US President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign is circling the wagons round several of his cabinet nominees as they come under heavy scrutiny, including claims of misconduct.

From BBC

Parked in the small lot in back is a 1973 RV he calls “the pizza wagon,” with a small mobile studio inside.

From Los Angeles Times

Being the two youngest in the car, Susan and I were relegated to the “way back” of our Ford Country Squire station wagon.

From Los Angeles Times

I doubted Dryden would last very long in a covered wagon out on the prairie.

From BBC

Related Words

• car
• caravan
• carriage
• cart
• chariot
• lorry
• van