all-terrain vehicle

noun

all-ter·​rain vehicle

: a small motor vehicle with three or four wheels that is designed for use on various types of terrain

called also ATV

Examples of all-terrain vehicle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Three people were injured Tuesday night when an all-terrain vehicle slammed into a sport-utility vehicle in Chicago's Belmont Cragin community. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 29 July 2026

The rusted structure was barely hanging on, and its operation was time-consuming for the busy ranchers, who had to lug special tools on all-terrain vehicles and on foot to open or close the mechanism. — Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 18 June 2026

The Russian military’s motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, and trucks run on gasoline, while armored vehicles, heavy trucks, and generators use diesel, ISW pointed out. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 5 June 2026

After boarding an open-air, all-terrain vehicle, I was driven through a tropical forest to the top of a mountain on a narrow, improbably steep road with Gustavo Adolfo Morice, both my guide and the park's owner, in tow. — Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 10 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1956, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

all-terrain vehicle

noun

: a small motor vehicle with three or four wheels for use on various types of ground