phaeton

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a light four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage, usually open and having one or two forward-facing seats

   They crossed the estate in a low phaeton drawn by two ponies.

2. 2
   noun

   an early open automobile or later touring car modeled in name or form on the carriage; historical

   The exhibition included a 1920s phaeton with an open body and folding roof.

Borrowed through French phaeton from Phaethon, the Greek mythological figure who lost control while driving the sun god's chariot. His association with that chariot made the name apt for a fashionable open carriage and, later, an open touring automobile.

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External links

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