wagon-lit

[ French va-gawn-lee ]

noun

, plural wa·gons-lits [v, a, -gaw, n, -, lee].

1. (in continental European usage) a railroad sleeping car.

wagon-lit

/ vaɡɔ̃li /

noun

1. a sleeping car on a European railway
2. a compartment on such a car

Word History and Origins

Origin of wagon-lit¹

First recorded in 1880–85; from French, equivalent to wagon “railway coach” (from English ) + lit “bed” (from Latin lectus )

Word History and Origins

Origin of wagon-lit¹

C19: from French, from wagon railway coach + lit bed

Example Sentences

Soon she would be gone, rattling alone in the wagon-lit without me, and he and I would be together in the dining-room of the hotel, lunching at the same table, planning the future.

From Literature

"The British have a wagon-lit to ourselves with all possible conveniences: there are several other wagon-lits and a dining saloon," he wrote.

From BBC

We were traveling in a wagon-lit from Germany to Paris.

From Project Gutenberg

And the wagon-lit, booked to Syracuse, calmly left stranded in the station of Messina, to go no further.

From Project Gutenberg

Bethune had wired that morning for a wagon-lit, a wise precaution as the train was packed.

From Project Gutenberg