carriage

noun

car·​riage ˈker-ij How to pronounce carriage (audio)
ˈka-rij
plural carriages
1
a
: a wheeled vehicle
especially : a horse-drawn vehicle designed for private use and comfort
b
British : a railway passenger coach
2
: a wheeled support carrying a burden
3
a
: manner of bearing the body : posture
that slender unrigid erectness and the fine carriage of headWilla Cather
b
archaic : deportment
4
: the act of carrying
5
: a movable part of a machine for supporting some other movable object or part
a typewriter carriage
6
chiefly British : the price or expense of carrying
7
medical : the condition of harboring a pathogen within the body
Clinical manifestations of enterovirus infections are protean, ranging from asymptomatic carriage to life-threatening illness.Journal of the American Medical Association
Hospitals commonly screen patients in the ICU for nasal carriage of MRSA and use contact precautions with carriers.Susan S. Huang et al.
8
archaic : management
9
obsolete : burden, load
10
obsolete : import, sense
11
obsolete : a hanger for a sword
Choose the Right Synonym for carriage

bearing, deportment, demeanor, mien, manner, carriage mean the outward manifestation of personality or attitude.

bearing is the most general of these words but now usually implies characteristic posture.

a woman of regal bearing

deportment suggests actions or behavior as formed by breeding or training.

your deportment was atrocious

demeanor suggests one's attitude toward others as expressed in outward behavior.

the haughty demeanor of the headwaiter

mien is a literary term referring both to bearing and demeanor.

a mien of supreme self-satisfaction

manner implies characteristic or customary way of moving and gesturing and addressing others.

the imperious manner of a man used to giving orders

carriage applies chiefly to habitual posture in standing or walking.

the kind of carriage learned at boarding school

Examples of carriage in a Sentence

They rode to the city in carriages. I took the baby to the park in the carriage.
Recent Examples on the Web With only a few comparable royal carriages still in existence today in the Palace of Versailles, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to possess an exceptional aristocratic artifact. Jim Dobson, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024 Chicago is not the only market that contains a carriage beef with Comcast. Jason Clinkscales, Sportico.com, 14 Oct. 2024 Charter Spectrum has cut a new carriage deal with NBCUniversal, one that will bring its Peacock streaming service to the pay-TV giant’s TV customers at no extra charge. Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Oct. 2024 Disney is also in a unique position for carriage deals: Fox has no streaming service, neither Paramount nor Warner Bros. Tony Maglio, IndieWire, 1 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for carriage 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'carriage.' 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

Middle English cariage, carrage "act of transporting, conveyances collectively, vehicle, burden, baggage," borrowed from Anglo-French "transporting, means of transport, baggage train," from carier, charier "to transport, carry entry 1" + -age -age

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of carriage was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near carriage

Cite this Entry

“Carriage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carriage. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

carriage

noun
car·​riage ˈkar-ij How to pronounce carriage (audio)
1
: the act of carrying
2
: manner of holding the body : posture
3
: a horse-drawn wheeled vehicle designed for carrying persons
4
: a wheeled support carrying a load
gun carriage
5
: a movable part of a machine for supporting some other movable object or part
a typewriter carriage

Medical Definition

carriage

noun
car·​riage ˈkar-ij How to pronounce carriage (audio)
: the condition of harboring a pathogen within the body
immunization against hepatitis B reduced the rate of HBV carriage
asymptomatic carriage of the pneumococcus in the nasopharynx

More from Merriam-Webster on carriage

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