Definition of pantechnicon in English:
pantechnicon
noun panˈtɛknɪk(ə)npænˈtɛknəkən
British A large van for transporting furniture.
Example sentencesExamples
- Even if Mr. Mopp cleared the place out and disappeared with a loaded pantechnicon, he could afford to replace just about everything.
- I have to weave about and even step into the road, because of the cars - and vans and trucks and the occasional pantechnicon - parked on the pavement.
- A furniture pantechnicon was backing into the entrance of the freight elevator, and the carpets and stereo-speakers, dressing tables and bedside lamps would soon be carried up the elevator shaft to form the elements of a private world.
- After the war Mr Taylor took the models - so big they had to be loaded into two pantechnicons - to Paris and across the Atlantic to Canada, where they created a great deal of interest.
Synonyms
lorry, articulated lorry, heavy goods vehicle, juggernaut
Origin
Mid 19th century: from pan- 'all' + tekhnikon 'piece of art', originally the name of a bazaar in London for all kinds of artistic work, later converted into a furniture warehouse.
Definition of pantechnicon in US English:
pantechnicon
nounpanˈteknəkənpænˈtɛknəkən
British A large van for transporting furniture.
Example sentencesExamples
- I have to weave about and even step into the road, because of the cars - and vans and trucks and the occasional pantechnicon - parked on the pavement.
- A furniture pantechnicon was backing into the entrance of the freight elevator, and the carpets and stereo-speakers, dressing tables and bedside lamps would soon be carried up the elevator shaft to form the elements of a private world.
- Even if Mr. Mopp cleared the place out and disappeared with a loaded pantechnicon, he could afford to replace just about everything.
- After the war Mr Taylor took the models - so big they had to be loaded into two pantechnicons - to Paris and across the Atlantic to Canada, where they created a great deal of interest.
Synonyms
lorry, articulated lorry, heavy goods vehicle, juggernaut
Origin
Mid 19th century: from pan- ‘all’ + tekhnikon ‘piece of art’, originally the name of a bazaar in London for all kinds of artistic work, later converted into a furniture warehouse.