Chariot

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈt͡ʃæɹɪət/

Definitions

1. A vehicle with two or four wheels drawn by horses, used in ancient times for warfare, racing, or ceremonial purposes
2. A wheeled horse-drawn conveyance employed in antiquity for combat, sport, or formal processions
3. An ancient two or four-wheeled carriage pulled by horses and utilized for battle, competition, or ceremonial transport

Etymology: The word "chariot" arrived in English by way of Old French, but its deepest roots lie with the Celts of Gaul. The Latin "carrus" meant "wagon," and it was itself borrowed from a Gaulish word, "karros," which the Celts used for the same kind of vehicle. The Romans adopted the wagon and its name from their northern neighbours, and the word then travelled west and north through Old French into English. Its path into English was not a simple one. Native English speakers already had a word for this kind of vehicle, "hrædwæġn," which literally meant "fast wagon," and that Old English compound was eventually pushed aside by the French-derived borrowing. The newcomer won out, and English gained a word that carried the faint trace of a foreign, Gaulish origin.

Synonyms: carriage, wagon