a small jet aircraft owned or chartered for private rather than commercial travel
The CEO flew in on a private jet.
the wing used for paragliding, or a person who paraglides
The paraglider drifted over the valley.
Two cars connected by a cable, balancing each other on a slope. Famous: Hong Kong Peak Tram, Funicolare di Capri.
a railway with paired cars on a steep slope
They took the funicular up the mountain.
Two senses: aerial gondola (suspended from cable) or street-grade cable-pulled rail (San Francisco). Distinct from funicular (paired cars on a slope).
a vehicle pulled by a cable, on rails or in the air
The cable car carried them up the mountain.
a large, fast warship
A naval cruiser patrolled the strait.
a large motorboat with a cabin, used for leisure
They spent the weekend on a cabin cruiser.
(US, informal) a police patrol car
A police cruiser pulled up outside.
a large ship that carries people on voyages for pleasure
They spent their honeymoon on a Caribbean cruise ship.
US: sled. UK: sledge. "Dog sled": Iditarod (Alaska race). "Sled dog" breeds: husky, malamute. "Sledding": popular childhood snow activity.
a vehicle for traveling on snow
The kids went sledding down the hill.
a large fabric balloon kept aloft by heating the air inside it, carrying a basket below
They drifted over the valley in a hot air balloon at dawn.
"-decker" = having a stated number of decks/levels; hence single-decker, double-decker.
a bus with two passenger levels, one above the other
Tourists love the open top deck of a London double-decker bus.
From "magnetic levitation".
a train that floats above its track using magnetic levitation, allowing very high speeds
The Shanghai maglev reaches 430 km/h.
a sled pulled by a team of dogs over snow and ice
They crossed the frozen tundra by dog sled.
British: a railway car is a "carriage". "Horse-drawn carriage" still exists for tourism in many cities.
(countable) a four-wheeled passenger vehicle pulled by horses
They rode through Central Park in a horse-drawn carriage.
(countable, British) one of the sections of a train
The first-class carriage was at the front of the train.
Two meanings: kid's foot-powered, or motorized (Vespa). Modern: "electric scooter" (e-scooter), popular urban mobility, also rented (Bird, Lime).
a small vehicle ridden by pushing with one foot or motor-powered
She rode her scooter to school.
Pronounced "yot": notoriously tricky spelling. From Dutch jacht (hunt; chasing ship). Modern megayachts owned by billionaires can cost hundreds of millions.
a medium-sized sailing or motor boat used for pleasure cruising or racing
They sailed their yacht around the Mediterranean.
From Carib (indigenous Caribbean) word. Distinct from kayak: canoes are open and use single-bladed paddles; kayaks are closed with double-bladed paddles.
a narrow boat propelled with paddles
They paddled the canoe down the river.
Short for taxicab in everyday speech.
a taxi
We took a cab to the airport.
a car with a driver that passengers hire for a ride
A taxicab stopped outside the hotel.
a car with a driver that passengers hire for a ride
The taxi arrived five minutes early.
a large machine used for digging, typically with a long arm and a bucket on the end; a digger
Two yellow excavators were tearing down the old warehouse.
a person who excavates, especially an archaeologist or construction worker
The lead excavator of the dig was a professor from Oxford.
As a verb, "to bulldoze" can mean to forcefully push aside opposition ("He bulldozed his way into the meeting").
a powerful tracked vehicle with a wide blade at the front for clearing earth
The bulldozer leveled the old building site.
a passenger vehicle powered by electricity conveyed by overhead cables, and running on rails laid in a public road
I caught the tram to the city center.
a small jet-propelled vehicle that skims across the surface of water and typically is ridden like a motorcycle
They rented a jet ski.
From Japanese jinrikisha (jin+riki+sha = 'human-power-vehicle'). Modern versions are usually pedaled (cycle rickshaws) or motorized (auto rickshaws/tuk-tuks) rather than pulled.
a small, light vehicle for one or two passengers, pulled, pedaled, or driven by one person
They toured the old city by rickshaw.
a large ship, truck, or plane designed to carry liquid (especially oil or gas) in bulk
A tanker spilled oil into the harbor.
American term for a fire engine.
(American) a large vehicle equipped to fight fires
The fire truck rushed to the scene.
a vehicle that carries firefighters and equipment to fight fires
The fire engine pulled up to the burning building.
From Latin trahere (to pull). Famous brands: John Deere, Massey Ferguson, Kubota. "Tractor beam": sci-fi device for pulling objects (Star Trek, Star Wars).
a powerful vehicle used to pull farm equipment
The farmer drove the tractor across the field.
Many compounds: freight train, bullet train (high-speed), train wreck (chaotic situation). "Train of thought": a sequence of connected ideas.
a series of railway carriages or wagons
They took the train to Paris.
From sub- (under) + marine (sea). Modern "submarine" also: a sandwich (also called "sub", "hoagie", or "grinder"). "Yellow Submarine": Beatles song/film.
a vessel capable of operating underwater
The submarine surfaced near the coast.
From Greek helix (spiral) + pteron (wing). Often shortened to "chopper" or "copter". "Helicopter parent": modern term for overly involved parent.
an aircraft with rotating blades on top
The helicopter landed on the roof.
British spelling: waggon. "On the wagon" = abstaining from alcohol; "off the wagon" = drinking again. "Station wagon" = US term for an estate car.
a four-wheeled vehicle for carrying loads, often horse-drawn
The settlers traveled west in covered wagons.
"Shopping cart" (US) = UK "trolley". "Cart before the horse" = doing things in wrong order. "Go-kart": small recreational racing vehicle.
a small vehicle for carrying things
He pushed the shopping cart down the aisle.
Also "motorbike". Famous makers: Harley-Davidson, Honda, Ducati. UK: "motorbike" more common in casual speech.
a two-wheeled motor vehicle
He rides a motorcycle to work.
a large motor vehicle for transporting goods
The truck delivered furniture to the store.
a long narrow boat used on canals in Venice
They rode a gondola through Venice.
Rides on a cushion of air, so it can travel over both land and water. Plural is also 'hovercraft'.
a vehicle that travels over land or water on a cushion of air blown downward by fans
A hovercraft once ferried passengers across the English Channel.
a very large tanker ship, especially one carrying oil
The supertanker ran aground, spilling thousands of barrels.
a boat or ship for conveying passengers and goods over a short distance, as a regular service
We took the ferry across the channel.