wagon

1 of 2

noun

wag·​on ˈwa-gən How to pronounce wagon (audio)
1
a
: a usually four-wheeled vehicle for transporting bulky commodities and drawn originally by animals
b
: a lighter typically horse-drawn vehicle for transporting goods or passengers
2
British : a railway freight car
3
: a low four-wheeled vehicle with an open rectangular body and a retroflex tongue made for the play or use of a child
4
: a small wheeled table used for the service of a dining room
the dessert wagon
5
: a delivery truck
a milk wagon
6

wagon

2 of 2

verb

wagoned; wagoning; wagons

intransitive verb

: to travel or transport goods by wagon

transitive verb

: to transport (goods) by wagon
Phrases
off the wagon
: in or into a state of no longer abstaining from alcoholic beverages
fell off the wagon
on the wagon
: in or into a state of abstaining from alcoholic beverages

Examples of wagon in a Sentence

Noun Pioneers crossed the American Midwest in wagons. He pulled his stuffed animals around in a little red wagon.
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
Among them are a mural for P.J.'s Pop (previously seen in A Bug's Life), Bing Bong's wagon (from Inside Out), an Ernesto de la Cruz record (from Coco), and, of course, the iconic Luxo ball. Kelly Connolly, EW.com, 24 Aug. 2025 Guests are welcome to bring certain items on the premises, including umbrellas, purses (which may be subject to search), backpacks (which may be subject to search), baby bags (also subject to search), folding chairs, strollers (including those for pets) and wagons. Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Verb
And Buck weaves in the fascinating history of the original Oregon Trail, revealing surprising details about everything from mules to wagon design to the tragedies the original pioneers faced. The Editors, Outside Online, 1 June 2019 Chris Bobek, who lives a couple of blocks south of Harrer, pulled daughter Sophie, 3, in a classic fire-red Radio Flyer wagon up to the complex’s main entrance. George Castle, Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2022 See All Example Sentences for wagon

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Dutch wagen, from Middle Dutch — more at wain

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1606, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of wagon was in the 15th century

Cite this Entry

“Wagon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wagon. Accessed 30 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

wagon

noun
wag·​on
ˈwag-ən
1
a
: a usually four-wheeled vehicle for transporting goods or passengers
especially : one drawn by animals
2
: a low four-wheeled vehicle with an open rectangular body for the play or use of a child
3
wagoner
ˈwag-ə-nər
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on wagon

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