waggons

Meanings

1. 1nounplural

   Four-wheeled vehicles, usually pulled by horses or tractors, used to carry heavy loads such as hay or goods.

   Grammar: Plural of waggon: three waggons on the road.

   Patterns

   • waggons of something

   Heavy waggons rolled slowly down the lane.

   The farm kept two waggons for hauling hay.

   The settlers set out in canvas-covered waggons.

2. 2nounpluralBritish

   Open railway trucks designed to carry goods rather than passengers, especially coal or freight.

   Grammar: Mostly British railway usage; American English says freight cars.

   Patterns

   • waggons of coal

   A long line of coal waggons stood in the siding.

   The engine pulled thirty empty waggons to the depot.

   The waggons were loaded with timber at the station.

Word forms

Common combinations

horse-drawn waggons

Horse-drawn waggons carried the bricks to town.

coal waggons

Coal waggons lined the track.

circle the waggons

They circled the waggons to protect themselves.

loaded waggons

The loaded waggons creaked under the weight.

railway waggons

Railway waggons carried grain to the port.

Synonyms and how they differ

wagons

This is the American spelling and the same word.

carts

These are usually smaller, often two-wheeled, and lighter than waggons.

trucks

This is a wider modern word for vehicles carrying goods and rarely suggests horse-drawn transport.

freight cars

This is the American railway term for goods waggons.

Word family

waggon noun

British spelling of wagon

waggoner noun

a person who drives a waggon

waggonload noun

the amount a waggon can carry

wagon noun

American spelling of waggon

Commonly confused: waggons or waggles?

Practice

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