# car

/ˈkɑɹ/ (US) · /kˈɑː/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/car
Updated: 2026-05-31

## Senses

### 1. road vehicle

noun · CEFR A1

a vehicle with four wheels and an engine that carries a small number of people.

For teachers: a road vehicle, typically with four wheels, powered by an internal combustion engine or electric motor, designed for personal transport.

- She parked her car in the garage before it started to rain.
- The transition to electric cars has accelerated as urban infrastructure adapts to include more accessible charging stations.

### 2. train carriage

noun · CEFR B1 · American English

one of the separate sections of a train.

For teachers: an individual unit of a railway train, especially one designed for passengers or freight.

- We walked through the train to find a seat in the dining car.
- The freight train consisted of over fifty cars, mostly carrying coal and timber across the Midwest.

Usage: In British English, 'carriage' or 'coach' is more common for passengers.

Teaching tip: Note that in North America, 'car' is the standard term for both passenger and freight units.

### 3. elevator cabin

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

the part of an elevator that people stand in to go up or down.

For teachers: the load-carrying compartment of a lift or elevator system.

- The elevator car was small and felt crowded with four people.
- Safety sensors ensure that the elevator car is perfectly level with the floor before the doors are permitted to open.

### 4. humorous misspelling of cat

noun · CEFR C1 · Humorous · Slang · Informal

a funny way to write the word 'cat' on the internet.

For teachers: a deliberate, humorous misspelling of 'cat' used in internet subcultures.

- Look at this video of a silly car sleeping on the sofa.
- The comment section was filled with people calling the stray kitten a 'distinguished car' because of its white paws.

Teaching tip: This is a very modern internet meme; learners should only use it in extremely casual, online contexts.

### 5. programming term

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

the first part of a list in the Lisp programming language.

For teachers: the first element of a cons cell or a list in the Lisp family of programming languages.

- The car of the list (1 2 3) is 1.
- In functional programming, the car operation returns the first pointer of the pair, effectively retrieving the head of the linked list.

Usage: Usually paired with 'cdr', which refers to the rest of the list.

Teaching tip: This is highly specialized jargon for computer scientists and programmers.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.