chariot

1 of 2

noun

char·​i·​ot ˈcher-ē-ət 

ˈcha-rē-

1

: a light four-wheeled pleasure or state carriage

2

: a two-wheeled horse-drawn battle car of ancient times used also in processions and races

chariot

2 of 2

verb

charioted; charioting; chariots

intransitive verb

: to drive or ride in or as if in a chariot

transitive verb

: to carry in or as if in a chariot

Examples of chariot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Capella is supposed to mark the position where the mama goat is sitting on the chariot driver’s shoulder, and that’s why it’s known as the goat star. —Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 8 June 2025

Louella dies before the games begin when the District 12 chariot crashes during the tribute parade. —Ashley Wolfgang, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2025

Researchers discovered the chariot tire, along with a trove of other artifacts, while preparing for the construction of a new golf course near Inverness. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 May 2025

Ahead of construction on a new golf course in the Scottish Highlands, archeologists uncovered an extremely rare find: a prehistoric chariot wheel buried inside a ceremonial circle. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 24 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English chariot, chariette "wheeled vehicle for transporting people or things, vehicle used in warfare," borrowed from Anglo-French, "four-wheeled vehicle" (also continental Old French), from charier "to transport, carry entry 1" + -ot, noun suffix, here instrumental, going back to Vulgar Latin *-ottus, variant of Latin -ittus, diminutive suffix

Note: Other examples of -ot as an instrumental suffix are brûlot "fireship," cachot "prison cell."

Verb

derivative of chariot entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1550, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for chariot

• lariat
• variate
• bivariate
• vicariate
• multivariate
• proletariat
• secretariat
• uniseriate
• univariate

Kids Definition

chariot

noun

char·​i·​ot

ˈchar-ē-ət

: a two-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle of ancient times used in battle and also in races and parades