cart

[kahrt] /kɑrt/
noun
1.
a heavy two-wheeled vehicle, commonly without springs, drawn by mules, oxen, or the like, used for the conveyance of heavy goods.
2.
a light two-wheeled vehicle with springs, drawn by a horse or pony.
3.
any small vehicle pushed or pulled by hand.
4.
Obsolete. a chariot.
verb (used with object)
5.
to haul or convey in or as if in a cart or truck:
to cart garbage to the dump.
verb (used without object)
6.
to drive a cart.
Verb phrases
7.
cart off/away, to transport or take away in an unceremonious manner:
The police came and carted him off to jail.
Idioms
8.
on the water cart, British, wagon (def 14).
9.
put the cart before the horse, to do or place things in improper order; be illogical.
Origin
before 900; Middle English cart(e), Old English cræt (by metathesis); cognate with Old Norse kartr cart
Related forms
cartable, adjective
carter, noun
uncarted, adjective
Can be confused
cart, carte.
British Dictionary definitions for put the cart before the horse

cart1

/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
5.
(usually transitive) to use or draw a cart to convey (goods, etc): to cart groceries
6.
(transitive) to carry with effort; haul: to cart wood home
Derived Forms
cartable, adjective
carter, noun
Word Origin
C13: from Old Norse kartr; related to Old English cræt carriage, Old French carete; see car

cart2

/kɑːt/
noun
1.
(radio, television) short for cartridge (sense 4)

CART

abbreviation
1.
Championship Auto Racing Teams
Word Origin and History for put the cart before the horse

cart

n.

c.1200, from Old Norse kartr or a similar Scandinavian source, akin to and replacing Old English cræt "cart, wagon, chariot," perhaps originally "body of a cart made of wickerwork, hamper" and related to Middle Dutch cratte "woven mat, hamper," Dutch krat "basket," Old English cradol (see cradle (n.)). To put the cart before the horse in a figurative sense is from 1510s in those words; the image in other words dates to mid-14c.

v.

"to carry in a cart," late 14c., from cart (n.). Related: Carted; carting.

Slang definitions & phrases for put the cart before the horse

cart

verb

To transport; move; take: I carted him over to the drug store/ Jesse James could have waltzed in there and carted off all the patio furniture (1880s+)


Related Abbreviations for put the cart before the horse

CART

  1. Championship Auto Racing Team
  2. cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript
put the cart before the horse in the Bible

a vehicle moving on wheels, and usually drawn by oxen (2 Sam. 6:3). The Hebrew word thus rendered, _'agalah_ (1 Sam. 6:7, 8), is also rendered "wagon" (Gen. 45:19). It is used also to denote a war-chariot (Ps. 46:9). Carts were used for the removal of the ark and its sacred utensils (Num. 7:3, 6). After retaining the ark amongst them for seven months, the Philistines sent it back to the Israelites. On this occasion they set it in a new cart, probably a rude construction, with solid wooden wheels like that still used in Western Asia, which was drawn by two milch cows, which conveyed it straight to Beth-shemesh. A "cart rope," for the purpose of fastening loads on carts, is used (Isa. 5:18) as a symbol of the power of sinful pleasures or habits over him who indulges them. (See CORD.) In Syria and Palestine wheel-carriages for any other purpose than the conveyance of agricultural produce are almost unknown.

Idioms and Phrases with put the cart before the horse

put the cart before the horse