chariot

¹char·i·ot

noun \ˈcher-ē-ət, ˈcha-rē-\

Definition of CHARIOT

1

: a light four-wheeled pleasure or state carriage

2

: a two-wheeled horse-drawn battle car of ancient times used also in processions and races

Origin of CHARIOT

Middle English, from Middle French, from Old French, from charrier to transport, from char vehicle, from Latin carrus — more at car

First Known Use: 14th century

²chariot

verb

Definition of CHARIOT

intransitive verb

: to drive or ride in or as if in a chariot

transitive verb

: to carry in or as if in a chariot

First Known Use of CHARIOT

1550

chariot

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Open two- or four-wheeled vehicle of ancient origin. The chariot probably originated in Mesopotamia about 3000 BC; early monuments show heavy vehicles with solid wheels. Chariots were probably first used in royal funeral processions. Two-wheeled horse-drawn versions evolved for speed in battle c. 2000 BC, appearing first in Greece and later in Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean. Chariot racing was popular in Greece at the Olympic Games; in Rome it was the main event in the circus games, where two to four horses drew each lightweight chariot in a competition of four or six vehicles; and in Byzantium such races became the dominant events of civic life.