Word
carter
Phoneticscarter
US/ˈkɑɹtɝ/
UK/kˈɑːtɐ/
Definitions
01driver of a cart
n. a person who drives a cart pulled by an animal, like a horse or ox, to move goods.
n. a person who transports goods via a cart drawn by a beast of burden.
“In the old days, the carter would bring fresh vegetables to the village every morning.”
“The local carter was responsible for transporting heavy timber from the forest to the shipyard using a team of sturdy oxen.”
Archaic
Usage
Primarily used in historical contexts or period literature.
Teaching tip
This sense is archaic; learners should think about modern equivalents like 'truck driver' or 'delivery driver'.
Synonyms
02a surname
n. a common English family name that originally came from the job of driving a cart.
n. a common English surname of occupational origin.
“Jimmy Carter was the 39th president of the United States.”
“The professor noted that the surname Carter is a classic example of an occupational name that has persisted for centuries.”
Usage
Always capitalized when used as a proper noun.
Etymology
As an English name, from the occupation carter. As an Irish name, from Irish Mac Artúir (literally “son of Arthur”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.