CARt

Cart is a wheeled vehicle designed for transporting goods or people. It is typically pushed or pulled and is often smaller and simpler than a wagon or carriage. Carts are distinguished from wagons, which are usually larger, four-wheeled, and drawn by animals. Handcarts and wheelbarrows are light, single- or two-wheeled variants used for short-haul work.

Common varieties include shopping carts used in retail settings, farm or market carts for moving loads, and handcarts or pushcarts used by street vendors. In some contexts, personal transport devices such as baby strollers are referred to as pushcarts. Carts may be constructed from wood or metal and can feature open or tub-like containers, with wheels and sometimes brakes or tipping mechanisms to unload their contents.

History and design have evolved with transportation needs. Early two- and four-wheeled carts appear in ancient civilizations and were instrumental in agriculture, trade, and logistics. The development of wheels, axles, and bearing systems improved efficiency and load capacity, influencing the broader history of road transport.

Modern usage spans practical and cultural contexts. Shopping carts were popularized in the 20th century and became a standard feature of supermarkets worldwide. In logistics and industry, carts and trolleys facilitate material handling in warehouses, manufacturing facilities, and service environments.

In computing and data analysis, CART also stands for Classification and Regression Trees, a decision-tree algorithm used for predictive modeling.

See also: wagon, trolley, stroller.