cart

UK: /ˈkɑː^rt/ US: /kɑrt/ ,(kärt)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

cart /kɑrt/   n. 

[countable]
1. Transport a two-wheeled vehicle pulled by horses, oxen, etc., and used to carry goods, for farming, etc.
2. Transport any small vehicle pushed or pulled by hand:
   a shopping cart.

v. [~ + object]

3. Transport to haul, as in a cart or truck:
   They carted the old furniture to the dump.
4. cart off or away, to take away (someone unwilling to go): [~ + object + off/away]
   The police carted them off to jail.
   [~ + off/away + object]
   carted away all seven of them to jail.

Idioms

5. Idioms put the cart before the horse, to do or place things in wrong order;
   do things backward.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

cart  (kärt), n. 

1. Transport a heavy two-wheeled vehicle, commonly without springs, drawn by mules, oxen, or the like, used for the conveyance of heavy goods.
2. Transport a light two-wheeled vehicle with springs, drawn by a horse or pony.
3. Transport any small vehicle pushed or pulled by hand.
4. [Obs.] a chariot.
5. British Terms, Idioms on the water cart, See wagon (def. 12).
6. Idioms put the cart before the horse, to do or place things in improper order;
   be illogical.

v.t. 

7. Transport to haul or convey in or as if in a cart or truck:
   to cart garbage to the dump.

v.i. 

8. Transport to drive a cart.
9. cart off or away, to transport or take away in an unceremonious manner:
   The police came and carted him off to jail.

• bef. 900; Middle English cart(e), Old English cræt (by metathesis); cognate with Old Norse kartr cart

cart′a•ble, adj. 
cart′er, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

cart / kɑːt/ noun

1. a heavy open vehicle, usually having two wheels and drawn by horses, used in farming and to transport goods
2. a light open horse-drawn vehicle having two wheels and springs, for business or pleasure
3. any small vehicle drawn or pushed by hand, such as a trolley
4. put the cart before the horse ⇒ to reverse the usual or natural order of things

verb

1. (usually tr) to use or draw a cart to convey (goods, etc)
2. (transitive) to carry with effort; haul: to cart wood home

Etymology: 13th Century: from Old Norse kartr; related to Old English cræt carriage, Old French carete; see car

ˈcarter noun

cart / kɑːt/ noun

1. short for cartridge4