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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Ree became close with the teenager after Jamar got in an accident on one of their all-terrain vehicles. —

Nicole Briese, Peoplemag, 23 Mar. 2023 Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University took an all-terrain vehicle on wild rides through tall grass, loose gravel and mud to gather data about how the ATV interacted with a challenging, off-road environment. —

IEEE Spectrum, 1 July 2022 For a president fond of photo ops—two days before his vaccination, the Kremlin released a series of photos showing Putin, dressed in a sheepskin coat trimmed with fur, driving an all-terrain vehicle through the snowy tundra in Siberia—his vaccination came off as a conspicuous non-event. —

Joshua Yaffa, The New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2021 Diego Barría, 32, was last seen riding his all-terrain vehicle (ATV) on a beach in the Chubut province on Feb. 18, according to the Associated Press and El País. —

Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 28 Feb. 2023 While on patrol on Brookpark near West 137th, police saw the man driving a 2004 Suzuki LTZ 400 QuadSport, an all-terrain vehicle, with no visible registration. —

Bob Sandrick, cleveland, 6 Jan. 2023 The rugged design and potential power means the EV9 will be looking to take on Range Rover with this all-terrain vehicle. —

Jeremy White, WIRED, 2 Jan. 2023 The Waterbury Police Department is investigating an all-terrain vehicle accident that resulted in the death of a 29-year-old Waterbury resident on Friday night. —

Alison Cross, Hartford Courant, 5 Nov. 2022 Hikers, ranging from children to those in their late 80s, have been rescued by helicopter, all-terrain vehicle and being carried on foot. —

Bailey Allen, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Nov. 2022 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

1956, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of all-terrain vehicle was in 1956

See more words from the same year

Dictionary Entries Near all-terrain vehicle

all talk and no action

all-terrain vehicle

all that

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Cite this Entry

Style

“All-terrain vehicle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/all-terrain%20vehicle. Accessed 31 Mar. 2023.

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