/ kɑːt; NAmE kɑːrt/ noun , verb
■ noun
1.
a vehicle with two or four wheels that is pulled by a horse and used for carrying loads :
a horse and cart
2.
(also hand·cart ) a light vehicle with wheels that you pull or push by hand
3.
( NAmE ) = trolley :
a shopping / baggage cart
a serving cart
4.
( NAmE ) = buggy :
a golf cart
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IDIOMS
- put the cart before the horse
■ verb [ vn ]
1.
[usually + adv. / prep. ] to carry sth in a cart or other vehicle :
The rubbish is then carted away for recycling.
2.
[+ adv. / prep. ] ( informal ) to carry sth that is large, heavy or awkward in your hands :
We had to cart our luggage up six flights of stairs.
3.
[+ adv. / prep. ] ( informal ) to take sb somewhere, especially with difficulty :
The demonstrators were carted off to the local police station.
••
WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : from Old Norse kartr , probably influenced by Anglo-Norman French and Old Northern French carete , diminutive of carre , based on Latin carrum , carrus , of Celtic origin.