Hansoms

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of horse-drawn carriage designed to carry passengers on a fixed route; typically characterized by a two-wheeled body and a folding top; often utilized for public transportation in urban areas during the 19th century
2. A carriage pulled by a horse, often found in city streets historically; it features a cab for the driver and a covered space for passengers; frequently hailed for hire by those wishing for quick transport
3. An enclosed vehicle with two wheels used to transport people, often drawn by a horse; it is associated with urban transport from a bygone era; commonly known for its distinctive appearance and use in busy city centers

Etymology: "Hansoms" is the plural of "hansom," and the singular is the more useful place to start. The hansom cab was patented in 1834 by Joseph Aloysius Hansom, an English architect, who designed a light two-wheeled carriage with the driver's seat set high and behind the passenger compartment. That placement let the vehicle stay fast and nimble, and the name came to be shared by the carriage itself. Because the word is a plural, it refers to more than one such vehicle, most naturally a row of them waiting on a city street or rushing past in traffic. The singular is the form that carries the inventor's name, and the plural simply makes it countable.

Synonyms: carriages, cabs