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passenger car

passenger car

9 2.6
A part of a train that carries people
  • noun
  • /ˈpæsɪndʒər kɑr/
  • US
translation icon : vagón de pasajeros
  • And by 1984, the Chevette was the most popular passenger car sold in America.
  • passenger car tire
  • passenger car shuttle
  • passenger car standards

Examples

  • A paved road bisects the forest, so ordinary passenger cars and public buses can easily reach the project reception center.

    Academic text (1996)
  • Beginning at 18 MPG in 1978, the passenger car standards increased to 27.5 MPG by 1985.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Are you certain you were in the passenger car?

  • The future will see electric passenger cars on the roads in increasing numbers.

    Academic text (1997)
  • I mean, they took everything else, but mine's in my bag in the passenger car.

  • We pull back to see young Barris, in a suit, reading the paper in a passenger car of a moving train.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Passenger cars were stopped.

  • In Connecticut, transportation produces 43% of greenhouse gas emissions, with single passenger cars producing the largest share.

    Blog text (24)
  • Also, during its inaugural year, the passenger-car shuttle is expected to transport 12.8 million passengers.

    Academic text (1993)
  • After taking a scenic train ride, we settled into a comfortable passenger car for the rest of our journey.

Synonyms

car
vspassenger car
130 5.7

A vehicle on tracks that carries passengers or goods

is specifically about vehicles designed only to carry people
coach
vspassenger car
75 1.3

A large comfortable vehicle like a bus or long train carriage

is similar but applies narrowly to rail vehicles for people
carriage
vspassenger car
  • UK
15 3.0

A part of a train that carries passengers

is the broader vehicle type but used here only for carrying people
railroad car
vspassenger car
  • US
6 2.5

A vehicle on railway tracks that carries people or goods

focuses only on vehicles built to transport people on rails
dining car
vspassenger car
6 3.0

A part of a train where passengers eat meals during a journey

is used for travel but does not serve meals onboard
railcar
vspassenger car
  • Specialized
5 3.7

A vehicle that runs on railway tracks to carry people or goods

restricts the meaning to vehicles meant specifically for carrying people
sleeper
vspassenger car
4 4.4

A train car with beds for sleeping on overnight trips

is aimed at daytime passenger transport rather than providing beds
club car
vspassenger car
  • US
3 4.9

A train carriage with a bar and seats for people to relax and talk

is the normal transport vehicle lacking such social amenities
diner
vspassenger car
  • Archaic
2 4.4

A passenger train car where people eat meals while the train moves

is the plain transport coach without an onboard eating section
trolley car
vspassenger car
  • US
2 3.8

A vehicle that runs on tracks in city streets using electricity

is a rail vehicle meant for broader rail use beyond urban street running
railway car
vspassenger car
  • UK
1 2.3

A vehicle that runs on tracks and carries people or goods

is limited to vehicles made to carry people rather than goods
sleeping car
vspassenger car
1 3.1

A train car with beds for passengers on overnight journeys

is for daytime seating trips rather than overnight sleeping use
lounge car
vspassenger car
  • US
1 5.5

A train car with seats, a bar, and tables for passengers to relax and talk

is the standard seating vehicle without dedicated lounge facilities
superliner
vspassenger car
  • US
1 7.5

A very large passenger train car with two levels for carrying people

is any sized vehicle for carrying people, not especially very large
tramcar
vspassenger car
  • UK
1 3.4

An electric car that runs on city tracks to carry people

is the general rail vehicle, not limited to city street operation
bilevel rail car
vspassenger car
  • Specialized
5.2

A train car with two levels of seats to carry more passengers

is the simple single-level type rather than a double-deck design
bilevel car
vspassenger car
  • Specialized
4.9

A passenger train car with seats on two levels to carry more people

refers to the basic single-deck vehicle without extra seating levels
double-deck carriage
vspassenger car
4.2

A train carriage with two levels of seats to carry more people

is the ordinary single-level vehicle not designed with two decks
palace car
vspassenger car
  • Archaic
9.1

A very comfortable train car with individual seats that costs extra

is the basic vehicle type without required luxury or extra charge
parlor car
vspassenger car
  • Archaic
7.7

A train car that has comfortable separate seats and costs extra

is the general vehicle used for carrying people without premium seating
buffet car
vspassenger car
  • UK
3.5

A part of a train where people can buy food and drinks

is the transport vehicle itself without onboard food service
smoking car
vspassenger car
  • Archaic
6.0

A train car where people may light cigarettes

is the neutral passenger vehicle, not defined by smoking rules
smoking carriage
vspassenger car
  • Archaic
7.7

A train car where people are allowed to smoke

is the general passenger vehicle without specified smoking areas
nonsmoking car
vspassenger car
  • US
2.2

A train car where people may not smoke

is the overall travel vehicle, not defined by smoking policy

How Big

freight car
  • US
4 3.2
railroad car
  • US
6 2.5
passenger car
  • US
9 2.6
tramcar
  • UK
1 3.4

Surface Forms

passenger car singular

Morphology

passenger + car

The noun phrase 'passenger car' is directly compositional from 'passenger' (a person traveling) + 'car' (a rail vehicle), denoting a car intended for carrying passengers. This straightforward noun+noun combination follows common compounding patterns and is cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the meaning.

Etymology

Passenger car comes from trains made of many cars. The parts made to carry people were called passenger cars because passenger means a person who travels and car means one part of a train, so the name means 'a car that carries people'.