water cartn.
/ˈwɔːtə kɑːt/, U.S. /ˈwɔdər ˌkɑrt/, /ˈwɑdər ˌkɑrt/ Now historical.
A cart, usually a barrel or tank on wheels, carrying water; spec. one used to water the streets by sprinkling water from small holes as it goes along; = water wagon n. 1a.
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society > travel > means of travel > a conveyance > vehicle > cart, carriage, or wagon > cart or wagon for conveying goods > [noun] > types of > wagon or cart for specific articles > water
water cart1422
water carriage1654
water wagon1731
watering cart1758
water bodge1815
1422 in R. W. Chambers & M. Daunt Bk. London Eng. (1931) 122 (MED) The Barjers at Sho-lane ende be al to-broke with watircartis.
1585 in M. A. Havinden Househ. & Farm Inventories Oxfordshire (1965) 196 A water carte with his furniture.
1670 H. Goble Inventory in Sussex Archæol. Coll. (1961) 99 132 (modernized text) A Water Cart with wheels & a hogshead.
1704 J. Mortimer Whole Art Husb. II. 6 A gentleman..watered St. foin..with a water-cart.
1789 Trans. Soc. Arts (ed. 2) 2 49 A barrel cart, or what is commonly called a water-cart.
1801 Farmer's Mag. Aug. 278 Some superior managers even supply them [sc. sheep] regularly with water, in long narrow troughs, led by means of a water-cart, while in the fold on dry hay.
1818 W. Scott Heart of Mid-Lothian i, in Tales of my Landlord 2nd Ser. I. 26 Performing the part of three water-carts for the benefit of their dusty roads.
1875 J. Ruskin Fors Clavigera V. 56 During the filling of the water-cart, through its leathern pipe, from the dripping iron post at the pavement edge.
1914 Daily News 20 Aug. 6 A half battalion..marched up, hoisted their machine guns and watercart aboard, [etc.].
1999 Grosvenor House Art & Antiques Fair Handbk. 199/2 The water cart, seen filling up from a standpipe in the foreground, was used by the local authority to keep down the dust in summer months.
Compounds
C1. General attributive.
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1830 T. Hood Ode to St. Swithin in Kaleidoscope 10 Aug. 44/2 Why task yourself to lay the dust in streets? As if there were no Water-Cart contractors.
1863 Farmer's Mag. Sept. 240/2 Wrought iron liquid manure or water cart body holding 200 gallons £4 5s.
1920 Western Highways Builder 17 July 12/2 Some of the road building equipment he obtained is enumerated:..five wood-sawing outfits, ten water cart tanks, ten ambulances.
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1836 C. Dickens Pickwick Papers (1837) xvi. 164 Come, come..blow this here water-cart bis'ness.
1837 C. Dickens Pickwick Papers xliv. 489 I'm wery much mistaken if that 'ere Jingle worn't a doin' somethin' in the vater-cart vay!
1898 A. Shirley Miss Cleopatra i. 8 Cleo. I understand; you—you— (Bursts into tears.) Edw. (Aside.) Now for the water-cart business.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2015; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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n.1422