clown car
/ˈklaʊn kɑɹ/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.92 in modern English
15
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A circus clown routine in which an implausibly large number of clowns climb into or out of a small car.
noun
A car or small enclosed space with too many people or things in it.
noun
Any process with a comically large number of participants, especially participants who themselves are comical or ridiculous.
Derogatory
Example Sentences
- "Kids of all ages have been applauding the clown car trick for more than 60 years, ever since it was first introduced in 1950 by master clown Otto Griebling at the Cole Brothers Circus."
- "It looked as if around fifty people got out and it reminded me of a clown car at a circus."
- "Sometimes clowns do a trick called “clown car,” where a bunch of clowns squeeze into a car and come out, one by one. […] If you go to a circus with a clown car, you'll see they have suitcases, beach balls, and other items to make it funnier."
- "Tiny chugging clown cars drive into the arena, and clown after clown after clown climbs out, enough to fill a bus."
- "My first experience of clown, like most people, was at the circus. I cried. The clown car exploded and fell apart. I cried."
- "The two-stroke-engine powered, built-with-communist-pride Trabant — a very small, two-door, clown car that resembles a shrunken '55 Chevy — does not particularly excite me."
Etymology
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈklaʊn kɑɹ/
- British English: /ˈklaʊn kɑː/