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carter

carter

1 8.9
A person who drives a cart to move goods
  • noun
  • /ˈkɑrtər/
  • Archaic
translation icon : carretero
  • Philadelphia had a more populous hinterland close to the city than New York, so it seems likely that it had at least as large a proportion of carters in its population as New York.

Examples

  • Most of them can be plausibly accounted for by estimating the number in five large occupational groups almost completely ignored by the city directory: apprentices, sailors, carters, domestic servants, and laborers.

    Academic text (1994)
  • To transport their harvest to market, the farmers hired a skilled carter from the village.

  • The price for the trip was hardly higher than that charged by carters for an overland trip.

    Academic text (1993)
  • We can make a more plausible estimate by looking at data on New York's carters.

    Academic text (1994)
  • The hostels and boarding houses, once concentrated on the left bank, "Neustadt," where the carters arrived, changed with the establishment of the railroad.

    Academic text (1993)
  • New York City licensed its carters in this period, and the New York City directory listed 1,200 carters in 1806.

    Academic text (1994)
  • Cieza goes on to state that in this region, women served even as carters, hauling the baggage of visiting Spaniards such as himself.

    Academic text (2000)
  • With these additions for apprentices, sailors, carters, servants, and laborers, there were 595 individuals still unaccounted for.

    Academic text (1994)
  • The Philadelphia directory listed only 110 carters, an impossible figure for a bustling seaport in an era when almost all goods had to be moved to and from the docks by wagon.

    Academic text (1994)
  • The local carter carefully loaded the goods onto his cart for delivery.

Synonyms

driver
vscarter
53 5.8

A person who guides animals that pull a carriage or wagon

drives the vehicle itself rather than guiding animals
hauler
vscarter
  • US
10 4.1

A person or company that moves goods by truck on roads

is an individual cart driver not a commercial transport company
deliveryman
vscarter
5 1.4

A person who brings packages or food to people's homes

transports goods by cart without focusing on doorstep delivery
wagoner
vscarter
  • Archaic
1 9.1

A person who drives a cart pulled by horses to carry goods

focuses on driving smaller carts used for moving goods
carman
vscarter
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A person who drives a horse cart to move goods

is the same job but named in older times
drayman
vscarter
  • Archaic
9.9

A person who drives a low cart to deliver goods, especially beer

is a general cart driver not limited to low carts
vanner
vscarter
7.9

A person who sells or delivers things from a van

uses open carts to move goods rather than enclosed vans
to porter
vscarter
  • UK
5.9

To carry bags or equipment for other people, often as paid help

moves goods using a cart rather than carrying them by hand

Compounds

The United States government led by President Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1981

A person who collects and takes away rubbish from homes

Surface Forms

carter singular
carters plural

Morphology

carter = cart (transparent) = cart + er

This is a regular agent noun formed from 'cart' + '-er', meaning a person who drives or works with a cart.

Etymology

The word carter comes from the simple word cart ('a small vehicle for goods') and the ending -er ('one who does'). So a carter is 'one who drives a cart', a person who moves goods from place to place.