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Definition of streetcar
streetcar
/ˈstriːt.kɑːr/
street · car
Plural:streetcars
streetcar Lexical Profile
CEFR
B1
Grade
4
Tier
2
Usage
Top 10k
streetcar Game Scores & Validity
Scrabble US
Scrabble UK
WWF
Wordle Guess
• noun
1
North American A passenger vehicle powered by electricity from overhead cables that runs on tracks laid in public urban streets.
Example
"We took the historic green streetcar down to the waterfront to avoid the afternoon traffic."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for streetcarWord Nuance & Usage
In North American English, this type of rail vehicle is primarily called a 'streetcar' or 'trolley', whereas in British English and most other international varieties, it is referred to as a 'tram'.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in American English in the mid-19th century, combining 'street' and 'car' to describe horse-drawn (and eventually electric) rail vehicles used for urban public transit.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Streetcar. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 17, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/streetcar