chuck wagon
1
7.9
- noun
- /ˈtʃʌk ˈwæɡən/
- US
:
carro de comida
- During the cattle drive, the chuck wagon was essential for providing meals to the hungry cowboys.
- chuck wagon dinner
- chuck wagon cook
- served from the chuck wagon
Examples
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We've no reason to believe... this chuck wagon is heading off to a cattle drive.
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This hardware'll be locked up in the chuck wagon.
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And I remember you had a chuck wagon and a nigger.
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Keeps it in a drawer in the chuck wagon.
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- Have Nella ride on the chuck wagon.
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Your grub's ready at the chuck wagon.
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Look, all we've got to do... is follow this chuck wagon to a cattle drive.
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My wife drove a chuck wagon coming down here and she's perfectly willing to drive one going back.
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The cowboys gathered around the chuck wagon to enjoy a hearty meal after a long day of work.
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Every morning, the chef prepared breakfast at the chuck wagon for the workers on the cattle drive.
How Equipped
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound meaning 'a wagon for food' is directly and transparently derived from 'chuck' (casual meal/food) + 'wagon' (vehicle), so a learner who knows both constituents can infer it denotes a vehicle that carries/serves food. Although 'chuck' is somewhat colloquial/slang, the composition is straightforward and follows a common vehicle-for-purpose pattern, making the expression predictable to a B1 learner who knows the word 'chuck'.
Etymology
Chuck wagon comes from old cattle drives: chuck was a word for 'food' and cooks used a wagon with a stove and supplies to feed the cowboys. That's why chuck wagon means a wagon used to prepare and serve meals.