Home › Glossary › Letter W

waggonette

Noun
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A light, four-wheeled carriage, often used for transporting passengers.

Detailed Definition
A waggonette is a type of light carriage that typically has four wheels and is designed for carrying passengers. It is often drawn by horses and was popular in the 19th century for leisurely travel. In the context of Hardy's poem, the mention of the waggonette evokes a sense of nostalgia and the passage of time, as the speaker reflects on a moment from the past.
Example
Example in poetry:
“The drizzle bedrenches the waggonette” places a light horse-drawn carriage in a wet landscape; a waggonette typically carried several passengers on facing seats; “The waggonette jolted past the hedges, bright with rain” supplies period travel detail; in a Victorian or Edwardian scene, the vehicle can suggest excursion, class, or a world before motorcars
Additional Notes
The term 'waggonette' is not commonly used in modern English, making it unfamiliar to many readers.; Found in the poem, At Castle Boterel by Thomas Hardy
Also Known As
carriage small coach light vehicle pony cart
Skip to main content