quadriga

American  

[kwo-dree-guh, -drahy-] / kwɒˈdri gə, -ˈdraɪ- /

noun

Classical Antiquity.

plural

quadrigae

1. a two-wheeled chariot drawn by four horses harnessed abreast.

---

quadriga British  

/ kwɒˈdriːɡə /

noun

1. (in the classical world) a two-wheeled chariot drawn by four horses abreast

---

Etymology

Origin of quadriga

1720–30; < Latin quadrīga, earlier plural quadrīgae, contraction of quadrijugae a team of four; cf. quadri-, yoke ¹

Example Sentences

On the apex of the roof was a quadriga, a blatant symbol of martial triumph depicting four horses being driven by Jupiter himself.

From The Guardian • Mar. 15, 2016

In classical times, the quadriga was a four-horse chariot used for racing -- or even driven by the goddess Nike.

From The Guardian • Jul. 27, 2015

Inasmuch as Germany today sits in the very cockpit of the European project, so the quadriga is a perfect symbol of how confused and contested that project has become.

From BBC • May 18, 2012

It's true that as monumental edifices symbolic of Berlin go, the Brandenburg Gate and its quadriga are fairly innocuous - but it's a strictly relative thing, given the alternatives on offer are hardly promising.

From BBC • May 18, 2012

Fragment of chariot group; an apobates standing in a quadriga, leaning forward.

From A Catalogue of Sculpture in the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities, British Museum, Volume I (of 2) by Smith, A. H.