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

Upon seeing the footage, some fans speculated online that the “Wagon Wheel” singer’s age wasn’t the only factor in the fall, instead blaming possible intoxication.

From Los Angeles Times

“I’ve got five songs for you: ‘Fastest Girl in Town,’ ‘Kerosene,’ ‘Little Red Wagon,’ ‘Wranglers,’ ‘Gun Powder & Lead.’

From Los Angeles Times

Wagons, motorcars, and parts of buildings swirled around them.

From Literature

It’s been 10 years since he released his cover of “Wagon Wheel,” one of the most popular country songs of all time.

From Seattle Times

“They’re going to put Trump in jail,” said Stan Gregory, who came to hear Mr. DeSantis speak Wednesday at the Wagon Wheel, an event venue in Council Bluffs in the state’s southwestern quadrant.

From Washington Times

Related Words

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