—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).
Phrases and idioms:
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.
Derivatives:
carter n. cartful n. (pl. -fuls).
Etymology: ME f. ON kartr cart & OE craeligt, prob. infl. by AF & ONF carete dimin. of carre CAR
Useful english dictionary. 2012.