What does wheelbarrow mean?
A wheelbarrow is a small cart designed to carry loads such as soil, leaves, tools, or building materials. It normally has a single wheel at the front, a container or platform above it, and two handles extending behind, allowing the user to lift and balance the load while pushing it forward. The term is common in gardening, construction, agriculture, and household work. In British English, “barrow” is also a familiar shortened form, although that word can have an unrelated meaning referring to a mound of earth or stones. As a verb, “to wheelbarrow” means to carry or move something in such a cart and is used less often than the noun. The word is notable as a transparent compound: “wheel” identifies the principal wheel, while “barrow” refers to the carrying vehicle inherited from older English. Together they describe both the mechanism and the function of a compact, human-powered hauling machine.
A small, usually one-wheeled cart with a container or platform for carrying loads and handles that allow it to be lifted and pushed from behind.
"The gardener pushed a wheelbarrow full of soil toward the flowerbeds."
Common in everyday British and American English; “barrow” is a frequent British shortening.
To carry or transport something in a wheelbarrow.
"They wheelbarrowed the remaining sandbags to the entrance."
Less common than the noun and chiefly used literally, with occasional figurative use.
The standard plural of the noun.
"Two wheelbarrows stood beside the pile of gravel."
The name is delightfully literal: wheel plus barrow, a carrying cart whose handles let a person bear the load.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does wheelbarrow come from?
The compound was formed in English during the late Middle English period from “wheel” and “barrow,” both of which were already established words. The second element descends from Old English “bearwe,” used for a wheeled carrier, and related forms occur in other Germanic languages. In modern English, “barrow” survives as a chiefly British shortened name for a wheelbarrow.
Related word forms
How wheelbarrow is actually used
The noun is everyday vocabulary in both British and American English. British speakers also commonly use the shortened form “barrow”; the verb is less frequent and is mainly used literally, though it can occasionally be used figuratively for transporting something with difficulty.
Easily confused with wheelbarrow
A barrow can mean a wheelbarrow, especially in British English, but it can also refer to a mound of earth or stones traditionally used to mark a burial or other significant place.