car

/kɑɹ/
Add to My Dictionary
In My Dictionary
+1
Most commonly a small passenger road vehicle, also a rail vehicle, a carrying compartment in certain machines, and a Lisp operation on cons cells.

Examples

  • Calling car on this pair returns the symbol on the left.
  • The expression (car items) reads the first item.
  • Use car only after checking that the value is a cons.
  • The dining car opened at six.
  • She bought a new car last week.

Similar words

coach
wagon
auto
motorcar
compartment
gondola
automobile
cab
cabin
railcar

Meanings

Passenger road vehicle

noun
transportation
neutral
A motor vehicle, usually with four wheels, designed mainly to carry a small number of people on roads.

Examples

  • She bought a new car last week.
  • We travelled to the coast by car.
  • The car broke down on the motorway.
  • He parked his car outside the station.
  • Electric cars produce no exhaust emissions while being driven.
  • The family shares one car.

Similar words

Rail vehicle or train section

noun
railways
neutral
A vehicle that runs on rails, especially one of the separate sections of a train used for passengers, freight, or a particular service.

Examples

  • We found our seats in the last car of the train.
  • The dining car opened at six.
  • Workers coupled another freight car to the train.
  • Each car has space for bicycles.
  • She walked through three cars to reach the café.

Similar words

Passenger or cargo compartment

noun
engineering
technical
The compartment that carries people, goods, or equipment in an elevator, balloon, or airship.

Examples

  • The elevator car can carry twelve passengers.
  • Technicians inspected the car and its safety brakes.
  • The lift car stopped level with the floor.
  • The airship's car held the crew and instruments.
  • Ballast was released from the balloon car.

Similar words

First part of a Lisp cons

noun
computer science
technical
A Lisp operation that returns the first component of a cons cell, commonly the first element of a non-empty list.

Examples

  • In Common Lisp, car returns the first component of a cons.
  • The expression (car items) reads the first item.
  • Calling car on this pair returns the symbol on the left.
  • The function combines car with cdr to walk the tree.
  • Use car only after checking that the value is a cons.

Similar words

Etymology

From Middle English carre, borrowed from Anglo-French carre or charre, ultimately from Late Latin carra, the plural of carrum, meaning a vehicle or cart.

FAQ

What does car usually mean?

It usually means a small motor vehicle designed mainly to carry passengers on roads.

Can car mean part of a train?

Yes. Especially in North American English, a car is a rail vehicle or one section of a train.

What is an elevator car?

It is the compartment that moves in the shaft and carries passengers or goods.

What does car do in Lisp?

It returns the first component of a cons cell, commonly the first element of a non-empty list.

Should I write by car or by the car?

Use by car for the mode of travel. Use the car when referring to a particular vehicle.

Where does the word car come from?

It came through Middle English and Anglo-French from a Late Latin word for a cart or vehicle.

Comments & contributions

Know this word from another angle? Add a correction, a nuance, or a usage note. New posts go public after a quick review.
Posting as a guest · Sign in
No comments yet. Be the first to add one.
Look up word or phrase...