trailer car

noun

, Railroads.

1. a second flatcar used for transporting an object or objects of excessive weight or length.
2. a passenger car, not self-propelled, included in a train of self-propelled cars.

Word History and Origins

Origin of trailer car¹

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90

Example Sentences

He not only knows what AirTags are and how they work, but has them on his trailer, car and labradoodle.

From Seattle Times

An open “grip car” generated movement when a gripman pulled a handle to grasp a moving underground cable, while an unpowered, closed trailer car tagged along.

From Seattle Times

It was noon, five hours before the start of 48th Annual Grammy Awards telecast, and Stone sat, placidly, in the trailer car of a stretch purple motorcycle in the parking lot of a Beverly Hills mini-mall.

From Time Magazine Archive

The weight of each motor car with maximum live load is 88,000 pounds, and the weight of each trailer car 66,000 pounds.

From Project Gutenberg

The locomotive weighed three tons, was twelve feet long, five feet wide, and made a speed of nine miles an hour with a trailer car for passengers.

From Project Gutenberg