wagon
A vehicle with four wheels that is used to carry things or people and is pulled by a horse, tractor, or person, not by its own motor.
A strong, usually four-wheeled vehicle used for carrying goods or people, typically pulled by animals, a tractor, or a person and not powered by its own engine.
A kind of car that has a long back part for bags or things, with a big door at the back. It is often a family car. In American English it is called a "station wagon".
A type of passenger car with a longer body and an extended rear cargo area, usually with a full-height rear door, often used as a family car.
A train car that is used to carry goods or materials, not people.
A railway vehicle used for transporting goods or materials, usually not powered itself and pulled by a locomotive; commonly called a goods wagon or freight wagon.
A rude word for a woman who someone thinks is unpleasant or silly.
An insulting term, mainly in some varieties of British and Australian English, for a woman considered unpleasant, annoying, foolish, or bad-tempered.
- Base: wagon
- Plural: wagon, wagons
circle the wagons
1Unite to defend against attacks
For a group to come together and protect itself from outside attack or criticism.
- When the company was criticized in the press, management quickly circled the wagons.
- Politicians tend to circle the wagons when one of their own is under fire.
- The family circled the wagons and supported her when the scandal broke.
fall off the wagon
1Start drinking again after stopping
To start drinking alcohol again after you had stopped for some time.
- He fell off the wagon after losing his job and started drinking every night.
- She’s afraid she’ll fall off the wagon if she goes to the bar with her coworkers.
- He had been sober for two years before he fell off the wagon last month.
hitch your wagon to someone or something
1Attach your future to another’s success
To try to become successful by closely connecting yourself to a successful or powerful person, group, or idea.
- Many young politicians tried to hitch their wagon to the popular new leader.
- If you hitch your wagon to that startup, you’re taking a big risk.
- She decided to hitch her wagon to the environmental movement early in her career.
off the wagon
1Drinking again after abstaining
To be drinking alcohol again after a time when you did not drink any.
- He was doing well for months, but now he’s off the wagon again.
- Everyone could tell he was off the wagon when he arrived drunk at the party.
- She’s worried he might go off the wagon during the holidays.
on the wagon
1Not drinking alcohol at present
To not drink any alcohol for a time, usually after drinking too much before.
- After his health scare, he went on the wagon and hasn’t had a drink in six months.
- I’m on the wagon this year, so I’ll just have a soda.
- She promised her family she would stay on the wagon until the baby is born.