Wagon

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈwæɡ(ə)n/

Definitions

1. A four-wheeled vehicle without an engine, traditionally drawn by horses or oxen, used for carrying heavy loads
2. A vehicle with four wheels, typically pulled by animals, designed for transporting goods or people over land
3. A non-motorized four-wheeled conveyance often used for hauling items, usually towed by horses or other livestock

Etymology: The English word and its Old English relative "wæġn" were once rival names for the same thing. "Wain" is the native survivor, while "wagon" arrived later from Middle Dutch "wagen", a borrowing that eventually pushed the older form aside in most uses. The two are doublets, meaning they descend from one Germanic source but came into English by different routes. That shared ancestor, Proto-Germanic "wagnaz", traces back to a prehistoric Indo-European root meaning "to transport". The same root gave us "way" and "weigh", which suggests an old link between travelling, moving goods and measuring their load. The word also took on a rougher sense. A woman of loose morals, or an obnoxious woman, is a derogatory and jocular use, probably a reference to a woman being "ridden", mounted for sexual intercourse. The verb form, meaning to transport by wagon, is simply derived from the noun.

Synonyms: cart, vehicle, trolley

Antonyms: bicycle