all-wheel drive

noun

ˈȯl-ˈwēl- 

: an automobile drive mechanism that acts on all four wheels of the vehicle

Examples of all-wheel drive in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Permanent all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission conspire with all that power to enable fantastic acceleration. — Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, 21 Mar. 2023

Based on Nissan’s EV all-wheel drive control technology (dubbed e-4ORCE) used on the brand’s newest EV, Ariya, the rover features front and rear electric motors to navigate challenging terrain. — Kristin Shaw, Popular Science, 20 Mar. 2023

With help from the all-wheel drive drivetrain, even when plowing through puddles, the crossover felt firmly planted to the asphalt both on the highway and two-lane roads bookmarked by grapevines. — Roberto Baldwin, The Verge, 20 Mar. 2023

Where four-wheel drive locks the speeds of the front and rear axles together, doubling traction over two-wheel drive, all-wheel drive (in the absence of other technologies) sends all an engine’s torque to the wheel (of four) with the least traction. — Wes Siler, Outside Online, 16 Feb. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1934, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for all-wheel drive

• overdrive
• alive
• archive
• arrive
• beehive
• connive
• contrive
• deprive
• derive
• khedive
• revive
• survive

Kids Definition

all-wheel drive

noun

: a system that applies engine power directly to all four wheels of a vehicle together or separately