car rental
14
1.3
- noun
- /kɑr ˈrɛntəl/
- For our vacation, we booked a car rental to explore the city at our own pace.
- car rental company
- car rental agency
- airport car rental
Examples
-
We also have discounts on air travel and car rental around the time of the meeting.
Academic text (1992) -
We had trouble again with the car rental agency.
-
OK, we're making our way to the car rental place, so we have a map.
-
I know a guy who owns a car rental company.
-
Ask him to check every car rental agency in town.
-
I work at a car rental company.
-
Is there a car rental place around here?
-
We had trouble again at the car rental agency.
Fiction book (1998) -
Your insurance plan should cover the full cost of a car rental up front.
Blog text (11) -
The cab took Jill to a car rental agency on Thirty-ninth Street.
Fiction book (1996)
Synonyms
50
2.7
A car you rent to use for a short time
6
2.0
A car you pay to use for a short time, often when traveling
1
4.6
A car you rent and drive yourself
1
8.9
A car you rent and drive yourself for a short time
How Long
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and transparently derived from combining 'car' (motor vehicle) with 'rental' (an item or service for letting); together they denote a car available for temporary hire or the service of renting cars. This noun-noun composition is a common, predictable pattern cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
The compound car rental comes from the basic idea of 'rent': you pay to use something for a short time. A company lets you use a car, so a rental is a vehicle you borrow for 'temporary use'.