VEHICLE Definition & Meaning

View synonyms for

vehicle

[ vee-i-kuhlor, sometimes, vee-hi- ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

any means in or by which someone travels or something is carried or conveyed; a means of conveyance or transport:
a motor vehicle; space vehicles.
a conveyance moving on wheels, runners, tracks, or the like, as a cart, sled, automobile, or tractor.
a means of transmission or passage:
Air is the vehicle of sound.
a carrier, as of infection.
a medium of communication, expression, or display:
The novel is a fitting vehicle for his talents. Language is the vehicle of thought.
Theater, Movies. a play, screenplay, or the like, having a role suited to the talents of and often written for a specific performer.
a means of accomplishing a purpose:
College is a vehicle for success.
Rhetoric. the thing or idea to which the subject of a metaphor is compared, as “rose” in “she is a rose.” Compare tenor ( def 3 ).
Pharmacology. a substance, usually fluid, possessing little or no medicinal action, used as a medium for active remedies.
Painting. a liquid, as oil, in which a pigment is mixed before being applied to a surface.

vehicle

/ ˈviːɪkəl; vɪˈhɪkjʊlə /

noun

any conveyance in or by which people or objects are transported, esp one fitted with wheels
a medium for the expression, communication, or achievement of ideas, information, power, etc
pharmacol a therapeutically inactive substance mixed with the active ingredient to give bulk to a medicine
Also calledbase a painting medium, such as oil, in which pigments are suspended
(in the performing arts) a play, musical composition, etc, that enables a particular performer to display his talents
a rocket excluding its payload

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Pronunciation Note

Because the primary stress in vehicle is on the first syllable, the [h] in the second syllable tends to disappear: [vee, -i-k, uh, l]. A pronunciation with primary stress on the second syllable and a fully pronounced [h] is usually considered nonstandard: [vee-, hik, -, uh, l]. In the adjective vehicular, where the primary stress is normally on the second syllable, the [h] is always pronounced.

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Derived Forms

vehicular, adjective

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of vehicle¹

First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin vehiculum, from veh(ere) “to carry, convey, ride” + -i- -i- + -culum -cle ²

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of vehicle¹

C17: from Latin vehiculum, from vehere to carry

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

A car caught fire in the Pixar Pals parking lot at Disneyland on Friday morning and spread to numerous vehicles, the Anaheim Fire Department said.

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He said that because of "cultural differences", Mr Yang helped him draft letters to Xi, including in relation to plans for the Eurasia Fund, an investment vehicle which Andrew was seeking to raise money for.

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Anderson Economic Group has estimated that tariffs on parts just from Canada and Mexico could lead to costs rising by roughly $4,000-$10,000 depending on the vehicle.

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The petition has received support across the South East, following attacks on people, vehicles and property in Kent and Surrey, as well as one in Cambridgeshire.

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The sector was already reeling from Trump's previously announced 25% US tariff on cars and light vehicles.

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