wagon

A wagon is a vehicle with a bed or cargo area that is drawn by animals or pulled by machinery, used to transport goods or people. Wagons are typically four-wheeled and built to be dragged by draft animals such as horses, oxen, or mules; some designs use wheels of different sizes for stability or off-road travel. The term contrasts with a cart, which usually refers to a smaller, two-wheeled vehicle.

Etymology: The word wagon comes from the Old English wægn, itself from Proto-Germanic roots related to wheel and weight.

Historically, wagons emerged after the invention of the wheel and served as durable land transport for agricultural and mercantile purposes. In medieval Europe they carried goods and people across roads and fields. In North America, the Conestoga wagon, a broad, covered cargo wagon, was developed in Pennsylvania in the 18th century. The covered wagon, or prairie wagon, became an emblem of westward expansion, while stagecoaches distinguished passenger service on established routes.

Most wagons have a wooden frame, a flat or slightly dished bed, four wheels with axles, and a suspension system such as leaf springs. They are traditionally drawn by teams of horses or other draft animals, but can be operated by tractors in modern times or used as decorative or ceremonial vehicles.

Today wagons are still used in some rural and agricultural settings, for forestry work, in markets, and in cultural or historical contexts. The term also persists in expressions and in the names of modern utility wagons, ride-on wagons, and toy wagons.