cart

1 of 2

noun

plural carts
1
: a heavy usually horse-drawn 2-wheeled vehicle used for farming or transporting freight
2
: a lightweight 2-wheeled vehicle drawn by a horse, pony, or dog
3
a
: a small wheeled vehicle see golf cart, grocery cart, shopping cart sense 1
b
: a table with wheels that is used especially for serving food
I make conversation after asking to look at the menu: That apple tart on the dessert cart—who made it, and what's in the crust?Corby Kummer
4
: a temporary record of items selected for purchase from an online vendor : shopping cart sense 2
You head back to your favorite Web shopping site, and the stuff you crammed in your cart last time is still there, waiting for you to buy it or dump it.Neil Randall

cart

2 of 2

verb

carted; carting; carts

transitive verb

1
: to carry or convey in or as if in a cart
buses to cart the kids to and from schoolL. S. Gannett
2
: to take or drag away without ceremony or by force
usually used with off
they carted him off to jail
carter noun

Examples of cart in a Sentence

Noun a cart piled up with hay Verb We carted some dirt to the garden. I carted all the books home. He carted the bags away.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Synthetic customer data lets businesses test pricing strategies, marketing spend, and product features, as well as virtual behaviors like shopping cart abandonment, and real-world behaviors like footfall traffic around stores. Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025 Our top picks Shop the best masks for dry hair Add these moisturizing superheroes to your cart ASAP. Jessica Kasparian, SELF, 21 Aug. 2025
Verb
Derrick Harmon #99 of the Pittsburgh Steelers is carted off during the first half of the NFL Preseason 2025 game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on August 21, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025 Henning, a rookie wide receiver who is competing for a spot on the Dolphin’s roster, was carted off the field before using crutches to hobble into the Baptist Health facility. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cart

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, probably from Old Norse kartr; akin to Old English cræt cart

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cart was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cart. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

cart

1 of 2 noun
1
: a heavy two-wheeled wagon usually pulled by a horse
2
: a light usually two-wheeled vehicle
pony cart

cart

2 of 2 verb
: to carry in or as if in a cart
carter noun

More from Merriam-Webster on cart

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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