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noun

streetcar

STREET-kahr
noun
1
A passenger vehicle that runs on rails set into city streets, also called a tram or trolley.
"The old streetcar rattled down the avenue every ten minutes."

How to Use Streetcar

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA tram-like vehicle that runs on rails along city streets.

UK vs US

Mainly American English; British English tends to say "tram."

Easily confused with

Word Forms

streetcars plural

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The old _____ rattled down the avenue every ten minutes.

Etymology

Coined from "street" and "car," distinguishing these rail cars — which ran on tracks laid right into the street — from cars on separate dedicated railroads.

Definitions: FreeDict original editorial