wheelbarrow

1 of 2

noun

wheel·​bar·​row ˈ(h)wēl-ˌber-(ˌ)ō How to pronounce wheelbarrow (audio)
-ˌba-(ˌ)rō
: a small usually single-wheeled vehicle that is used for carrying small loads and is fitted with handles at the rear by which it can be pushed and guided

wheelbarrow

2 of 2

verb

wheelbarrowed; wheelbarrowing; wheelbarrows

transitive verb

: to convey in a wheelbarrow

Examples of wheelbarrow in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Items such as wheelbarrows or watering cans can collect rainfall, creating potential breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2024 In the end, the wives cart off the dead in wheelbarrows. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 15 June 2023 Or that through the bushes, beyond the tables at the outdoor café, workers were repairing the university’s Frank Lloyd Wright house, pushing wheelbarrows of bricks, pounding with hammers? David Means, The New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2024 The door hangers also give homeowners suggestions: Dump or store kiddie pools, empty wheelbarrows and flower pots, clean gutters, change water in bird baths weekly. Karen Garloch, Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2024 After Graber’s body was found hidden under a tarp and a wheelbarrow, the teens were arrested based on statements Goodale made to friends on social media that were discovered by police. Timothy Bella, Washington Post, 16 Nov. 2023 And the building is falling apart, a point the sheriff tried to illustrate to county leaders by collecting hundreds of weapons fashioned from chunks of the crumbling walls and loading them into four wheelbarrows his deputies rolled into a public meeting last year. Ben Brasch, Anchorage Daily News, 19 Aug. 2023 Iowa Teens Plead Guilty to Murdering Spanish Teacher with Bat Over Bad Grade The following day, Graber's body was found in the park under a tarp, a wheelbarrow and railroad ties, where authorities said the teens had dragged her body and hidden it. David Chiu, Peoplemag, 7 July 2023 Louis took on the big task of pushing a wheelbarrow of soil (with Kate's help). Naledi Ushe, USA TODAY, 8 May 2023
Verb
In 2017, the thimble was replaced by the T-Rex after more than 4.3 million votes were sent in to replace the game piece, as well as to change the boot and wheelbarrow to a rubber ducky and penguin, according to CNN. Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 8 Oct. 2022 Heavy piles of building materials such as bricks and gravel or even foot and wheelbarrow traffic can also compact the soil. Beth Botts, chicagotribune.com, 5 Mar. 2022 The dancers fled the garden, laughing, wheelbarrow in tow. Abby Carney, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2021 There were period-appropriate amusements, from cherry-seed spitting contests to wheelbarrow races, the latter featuring wooden conveyances built to 150-year-old specifications. Peter Rowe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 July 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wheelbarrow.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1721, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near wheelbarrow

Cite this Entry

“Wheelbarrow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wheelbarrow. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wheelbarrow

noun
wheel·​bar·​row
ˈhwē(ə)l-ˌbar-ō,
ˈwē(ə)l-
: a small cart that has two handles and usually one wheel, is used for carrying small loads, and is usually pushed

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