NYT Dictionary
WAGON
/ˈwæːɡən/NounVerbWAG-onwag-on · 2 syllablesGrade 6
Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2025
Meaning
A heavier four-wheeled (normally horse-drawn) vehicle designed to carry goods (or sometimes people).
Etymology
Origin: Old English
Borrowed from Middle Dutch wagen, from Old Dutch *wagan, from Proto-West Germanic *wagn, from Proto-Germanic *wagnaz (“wagon”), from Proto-Indo-European *weǵʰ- (“to transport”). Generally displaced native cognate wain, from Old English wæġn, of which it is a doublet. Related also to way, weigh. Sense 8 (“woman of loose morals; obnoxious woman”) is probably a derogatory and jocular reference to a woman being “ridden”, that is, mounted for the purpose of sexual intercourse. The verb is derived from the noun.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
railroad carcarrailway wagonrailway carriagecarriagerailtrucktruckcoachestateNB: All terms are usually pejorative unless stated otherwise.
NYT Puzzle Appearances
Accepted in 1 recorded puzzle: