(a) A cart, a wagon; also fig.; dong ~, [see dong n.(1), 5.]; fare ~, [see fare n. (1), 8.(b)]; iren-bounden ~, shod ~, a cart with wheels which are bound or reinforced with iron bands; taken ~, to commandeer carts in the king's name; (b) in proverbial expressions; his ~ amidde the mire, his plans upset, his hopes dashed, etc.; shouven at the ~, to put one's shoulder to the wheel; slepen (ben cast) in wanhopes ~, to be in despair; the ~ is at the gate, the funeral cart is waiting for the corpse; (c) a cartload.

A chariot, a war chariot, the chariot of the sun; a coach or carriage; four-horsed ~, four-wheled ~.

~ hors: (a) a horse that draws a cart or wagon, a cart horse; (b) a chariot horse.

~ hous: (a) a cart shed; (b) error for carfouk, q.v.

(a) ~ sadel, a small saddle on the back of a cart horse, to which the tongue or shafts are attached; (b) ~ sadel tre, the wooden framework of a cart saddle.

~ whele: (a) a cart wheel; (b) ?as a measure of land: a carucate, a plowland.

In various cpds. and combs.: (a) ~ man, a carter; ~ reve, manorial official in charge of vehicles; ~ takere, an officer in charge of commandeering carts or wagons for the king; ~ wrighte, one who makes or repairs carts or wagons; (b) ~ ful, a cartload; also, a large number, many; ~ lode, a cartload; also, as a measure: 2000 pounds; (c) ~ bote, an allowance of timber which a tenant has the right to cut and to use for making or repairing carts; ~ gate, a gate for the passage of carts; ~ hired, a collection of chariots [cp. OE hīrēd n.]; ~ mere, a mare that draws a cart; ~ plough, a wheeled plow; ~ silver, a money rent paid in lieu of carting services for the lord of the manor; ~ spore, a cart track, the track made by a cart-wheel; ~ wei, a road for carts and wagons; commune as the ~ wei, public, common, cheap; (d) ~ wise, as a cart.

In names of parts or appurtenances of a cart: (a) ~ bodi, the superstructure of a cart, the part that holds the load; ~ bond, an iron rim or tire of a cart wheel; ~ clout, an iron plate on the axle of a cart (to prevent wearing); ~ gadde, ?a goad used by a carter; (b) ~ harneis, harness of a cart horse; ~ hirdel, a hurdle attached to the sides of a cart; ~ kipe, ?some part of a cart; ?a basket acting as a tip on a cart; ~ laddere, a removable framework attached to the body of a cart; ~ nail, a nail for a cart; ~ nave (~ nathe), the hub of a cart wheel; ~ pin, a tholepin for attaching shafts or tongue to a cart; ?also, a linchpin; ~ rop, a rope for a cart; (c) ~ scrile, some part of a cart or something used in repairing a cart; ~ sole, a wooden bar supporting the bottom of a cart; ~ spoke, a spoke of a cart wheel; ~ staf, a tongue or a shaft of a cart; ~ stoure, one of the upright pieces of wood in the sides of a cart to which the boards are nailed to form the sides; ~ strake (stroke), one of the separate iron plates together forming a band used to secure the felloes of a cartwheel to each other; ~ thille, a shaft or a tongue of a cart; (paire of ) ~ traises, the (pair of) ropes by which an animal is attached to a cart, the tugs or traces of a cart harness.