car

"Car" is a common, everyday English word with a few related but distinct meanings. Most of the time you'll hear it used in one main way, but it also appears in some specific contexts worth knowing.

1nounroad vehicle

This is the meaning almost everyone knows. A car is a machine with four wheels and an engine that you drive on roads to get from one place to another. Think of it as your personal transport box — it carries you and a few passengers wherever you need to go.

everyday language · Modern, widely used

She bought a new car last month because her old one kept breaking down.

It takes about 20 minutes to get to the office by car.

He parked the car outside the supermarket and went in to shop.

2nountrain compartment

On a train, each separate section that passengers sit in is also called a car — or more specifically a 'train car' or 'carriage'. Imagine a long train as a chain of boxes linked together; each box is a car.

transport / travel · Modern, widely used

The dining car is at the back of the train, where you can order food.

We sat in the last car of the subway train.

The sleeping car had small private rooms for overnight passengers.

3nounelevator cabin

The enclosed cabin that moves up and down inside an elevator (or lift) is sometimes called a car. This is more common in technical or American English. Think of it as the 'room' that carries you between floors.

engineering / architecture · Modern, more common in technical contexts

The elevator car stopped between floors and the passengers had to wait for help.

The car can hold a maximum of eight people at one time.