cart

noun

1. a heavy two-wheeled vehicle, commonly without springs, drawn by mules, oxen, or the like, used for the conveyance of heavy goods.
2. a light two-wheeled vehicle with springs, drawn by a horse or pony.
3. any small vehicle pushed or pulled by hand.
4. Obsolete. a chariot.

verb (used with object)

5. to haul or convey in or as if in a cart or truck: to cart garbage to the dump.

verb (used without object)

6. to drive a cart.

Verb Phrases

7. cart off/away, to transport or take away in an unceremonious manner: The police came and carted him off to jail.

Idioms

8. on the water cart, British. wagon(def 14).
9. put the cart before the horse, to do or place things in improper order; be illogical.

noun

1. a heavy open vehicle, usually having two wheels and drawn by horses, used in farming and to transport goods
2. a light open horse-drawn vehicle having two wheels and springs, for business or pleasure
3. any small vehicle drawn or pushed by hand, such as a trolley
4. put the cart before the horse to reverse the usual or natural order of things

verb

5. (usually tr) to use or draw a cart to convey (goods, etc)to cart groceries
6. (tr) to carry with effort; haulto cart wood home

noun

1. radio television short for cartridge (def. 4)

abbreviation for

1. Championship Auto Racing Teams

n.

c.1200, from Old Norse kartr or a similar Scandinavian source, akin to and replacing Old English cræt “cart, wagon, chariot,” perhaps originally “body of a cart made of wickerwork, hamper” and related to Middle Dutch cratte “woven mat, hamper,” Dutch krat “basket,” Old English cradol (see cradle (n.)). To put the cart before the horse in a figurative sense is from 1510s in those words; the image in other words dates to mid-14c.

v.

“to carry in a cart,” late 14c., from cart (n.). Related: Carted; carting.

In addition to the idioms beginning with cart

• cart before the horse, put the
• cart off

also see:

• upset the applecart