n. & v.
n. 1 a strong vehicle with two or four wheels for carrying loads, usu. drawn by a horse. 2 a light vehicle for pulling by hand. 3 a light vehicle with two wheels for driving in, drawn by a single horse.
v.tr. 1 convey in or as in a cart. 2 sl. carry (esp. a cumbersome thing) with difficulty or over a long distance (carted it all the way home). cart-horse a thickset horse suitable for heavy work. cart-load 1 an amount filling a cart. 2 a large quantity of anything. cart off remove, esp. by force. cart-track (or -road) a track or road too rough for ordinary vehicles. cart-wright a maker of carts. in the cart sl. in trouble or difficulty. put the cart before the horse 1 reverse the proper order or procedure. 2 take an effect for a cause. carter n. cartful n. (pl. -fuls).
[ ME f. ON kartr cart & OE crt, prob. infl. by AF & ONF carete dimin. of carre CAR ]