stagecoach

American  

[steyj-kohch] / ˈsteɪdʒˌkoʊtʃ /

noun

1. a horse-drawn coach that formerly traveled regularly over a fixed route with passengers, parcels, etc.

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stagecoach British  

/ ˈsteɪdʒˌkəʊtʃ /

noun

1. a large four-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle formerly used to carry passengers, mail, etc, on a regular route between towns and cities

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Etymology

Origin of stagecoach

First recorded in 1630–40; stage + coach

Example Sentences

Consider Joseph Morgan III. Born in 1780 into a Welsh immigrant family that became successful Massachusetts farmers, he sold the farm and invested in a Hartford, Conn., coffeehouse and stagecoach line.

From Barron's • Jan. 13, 2026

With a tremendous clatter, the makeshift stagecoach got the speed wobbles like a wonky grocery cart and flipped over on a turn, ejecting its rowdy riders.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 31, 2025

After it opened in 1879 in an old Army barracks, thousands of Native American children were sent by train and stagecoach to Carlisle.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 1, 2024

When Colorado-bound Mo is relegated to the back of a stagecoach, one anticipates “Surrounded,” directed by Anthony Mandler, might play as a rollicking, racially enlightened genre variant.

From New York Times • Jun. 20, 2023

The stagecoach rumbled off, and the four of them stood and gazed upon the verdant meadows of the valley of Heathcote, now spread before them like a lush green blanket laid out for a picnic.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood