wagon

1 of 2

noun

wag·​on ˈwa-gən How to pronounce wagon (audio)
1
a
: a usually four-wheeled vehicle for transporting bulky commodities and drawn originally by animals
b
: a lighter typically horse-drawn vehicle for transporting goods or passengers
2
British : a railway freight car
3
: a low four-wheeled vehicle with an open rectangular body and a retroflex tongue made for the play or use of a child
4
: a small wheeled table used for the service of a dining room
the dessert wagon
5
: a delivery truck
a milk wagon
6

wagon

2 of 2

verb

wagoned; wagoning; wagons

intransitive verb

: to travel or transport goods by wagon

transitive verb

: to transport (goods) by wagon
Phrases
off the wagon
: in or into a state of no longer abstaining from alcoholic beverages
fell off the wagon
on the wagon
: in or into a state of abstaining from alcoholic beverages

Examples of wagon in a Sentence

Noun Pioneers crossed the American Midwest in wagons. He pulled his stuffed animals around in a little red wagon.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Mercedes says the sedan will be able to sprint from zero to 63 mph in just 3.8 seconds (the wagon can do the same in 3.9 seconds). Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2024 To help Meter Maid get outside, APA staff members regularly wheeled her outdoors in a wagon. Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 Khamenei has circled the wagons at a time when ordinary Iranians are suffering a grim economic toll. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2024 That meant the driver was toward the middle of the road and the wagon to the right. Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN, 2 Mar. 2024 Folks can take narrated tours of the fields in wagons pulled by tractors and stop for lemonade or ice cream dipped in sprinkles. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2024 The wagon meanders on through the preserve, occasionally stopping so everyone can file out a closer look. Ryan Ballogg, Miami Herald, 29 Feb. 2024 The current lineup includes the S60 Recharge and S90 Recharge sedans, the XC60 Recharge and XC90 Recharge SUVs, and the drop-dead-gorgeous V60 Recharge wagon. Peter Douglas, The Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2024 The 2025 Taycan comes in two body styles — the sports sedan and the Cross Turismo wagon — each with four powertrain options as well as rear- and all-wheel drive variants. Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 6 Feb. 2024
Verb
And Buck weaves in the fascinating history of the original Oregon Trail, revealing surprising details about everything from mules to wagon design to the tragedies the original pioneers faced. The Editors, Outside Online, 1 June 2019 Chris Bobek, who lives a couple of blocks south of Harrer, pulled daughter Sophie, 3, in a classic fire-red Radio Flyer wagon up to the complex’s main entrance. George Castle, Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2022 Other towns have repeatedly fled rivers – Niobrara, Nebraska, hauled its houses by horse and wagon away from flooding in the Missouri River in 1881 and moved again in 1971. Doug Struck, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 July 2021 The farm's dozens of other attractions, from a train and giant jumping pillows to wagon rides to a pumpkin patch, give it almost amusement-park status. Chelsey Lewis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 12 Oct. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wagon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Dutch wagen, from Middle Dutch — more at wain

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1606, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of wagon was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near wagon

Cite this Entry

“Wagon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wagon. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wagon

noun
wag·​on
ˈwag-ən
1
a
: a usually four-wheeled vehicle for transporting goods or passengers
especially : one drawn by animals
2
: a low four-wheeled vehicle with an open rectangular body for the play or use of a child
3
wagoner
ˈwag-ə-nər
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on wagon

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