cart
Americannoun
-
a heavy two-wheeled vehicle, commonly without springs, drawn by mules, oxen, or the like, used for the conveyance of heavy goods.
-
a light two-wheeled vehicle with springs, drawn by a horse or pony.
-
any small vehicle pushed or pulled by hand.
-
Obsolete. a chariot.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb phrase
idioms
-
put the cart before the horse, to do or place things in improper order; be illogical.
-
on the water cart, wagon.
noun
-
a heavy open vehicle, usually having two wheels and drawn by horses, used in farming and to transport goods
-
a light open horse-drawn vehicle having two wheels and springs, for business or pleasure
-
any small vehicle drawn or pushed by hand, such as a trolley
-
to reverse the usual or natural order of things
verb
-
(usually tr) to use or draw a cart to convey (goods, etc)
to cart groceries
-
(tr) to carry with effort; haul
to cart wood home
abbreviation
noun
Other Word Forms
- cartable adjective
- carter noun
- uncarted adjective
Etymology
Origin of cart
before 900; Middle English cart ( e ), Old English cræt (by metathesis); cognate with Old Norse kartr cart
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Champagne, an ice-cream sundae cart and Saks Fifth Avenue bedding were scrumptious.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
In a supermarket in Bahrain, Mahmoud Ali fills his cart as usual.
From Barron's • Mar. 19, 2026
The fruit cup and slices are a picnic staple from a Mexican fruit cart.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026
Baby left in shopping cart in 1972 reunites with women who found her.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 13, 2026
Between us was a cart with a dozen mounds of cinnamon, cardamom, and so on and so on, you get the idea.
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
![]()
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.