hanson
n. countablen. a four-wheeled carriage from the 1800s that is pulled by a horse. The driver sits on a high seat at the back while the passengers sit inside.
n. a light, two-wheeled or four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage for hire, featuring a driver's seat elevated behind the passenger compartment. When capitalised, it refers to the specific design patented by Joseph Hansom in 1834.
The detective hailed a hanson to follow the suspect through the city.
In Victorian London, the hanson was the most common way for wealthy citizens to travel quickly across the crowded streets.
The rhythmic clopping of the horse's hooves against the cobblestones echoed through the fog as the hanson disappeared into the narrow alleyway, leaving only a faint trail of lantern light.
Often appears in the compound form 'hansom cab'; the spelling 'hanson' is a common historical variant or misspelling of 'hansom'.