Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

charabanc

/ˈʃæ.ɹə.bæŋ(k)/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.38 in modern English

Syllables: chara-banc
IPA: /ˈʃæ.ɹə.bæŋ(k)/

18

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A horse-drawn, and then later, motorized omnibus with open sides, and often, no roof.

British usage

noun

A bus, especially one hired by groups for pleasure outings, what was later called a coach.

British usage; Dated

noun

A vehicle that is slow, overcrowded, or otherwise undesirable.

British usage; Informal

noun

An elaborate production or endeavor involving many people or things.

verb

To travel or convey by charabanc.

Example Sentences

"A little further on, to the right, was a large garage, where the charabancs stood, half in and half out of the yard."
"And full of colored dreams / Deep inside a rainbow / Lived Happiness Stan / In a small Victorian charabanc"
"The cumbersome though finely painted charabanc of the late James style is pulled swaying along by a frisky pony of a plot farcical and romantic."
"Oh shit, there goes the charabanc! Looks like I'm gonna be stuck here the whole summer"
"Mum had worked there as a teenager and once recalled her duty of having to meet the charabancs that brought the well-heeled to the baths from Droitwich station before the war."
"We return to the charabanc of a car to find a swarm of children dancing round it, clambering up the back, jumping on the step; the driver sleeps peacefully at the wheel, oblivious of their shrieks."

Etymology

Borrowed from French char-à-bancs (literally “carriage with benches”).

Origin

Source language: French

Word Breakdown

Root: char-à-bancs

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /ˈʃæ.ɹə.bæŋ(k)/

Usage

British usage
Dated
Informal

Inflected Forms

charabancs (plural) char-à-banc (alternative, obsolete) charabancs (present, singular) charabancing (participle, present) charabanced (participle, past) charabanced (past)

Synonyms

chara bus autobus coach double-decker jitney motorbus motorcoach omnibus passenger vehicle

Questions

How do you pronounce charabanc?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈʃæ.ɹə.bæŋ(k)/.
What does charabanc mean?: A horse-drawn, and then later, motorized omnibus with open sides, and often, no roof.
Where does charabanc come from?: It is traced to French.

How to pronounce charabanc

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “charabanc”.
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