wheelhorse
/ˈʍiːlhɔɹs/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: 0.00 in modern English
19
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
One of a team of horses which is nearest to the wheels of a carriage, as opposed to a leader or forward horse.
American usage; Dated
noun
A person who labors heavily for a particular cause, without being concerned about recognition.
American usage
Example Sentences
- "The off wheel-horſe a grey, named Single Peeper, ſold for 50 [guineas] […] The near wheel-horſe cheſnut, named Chance."
- "The driver […] neither knew any thing, said any thing, or did any thing but watch a dozen equine ears, and keep six reins taut in his hands, and coax the off wheel[-]horse with the belly of his whip-lash every two minutes, invariably accompanying the stroke with a tremendous solitary cluck."
- "“Ay! he med well say that,” repeated the wagoner, still digesting the pleasure of Ben Lee’s compliment, and slapping the wheel[-]horse’s vast flank, so that the fairy chime began again, and the smack resounded like an accompaniment to its music."
- "In contrast to the methods used in New England all the lumber from the high Sierras is taken out in the summer instead of the winter. Teams of about seven pairs of horses, or mules, or traction engines, are used. Teams draw two or three wagons, and are managed by one driver who rides on a wheelhorse and guides with one rein, whip and voice."
- "The cannoneer posted nearest the left wheel of the limber engages the end of the pole of his carriage in the pole ring of the neck yoke and then hitches the near wheel horse; the cannoneer posted nearest the right wheel of the limber hitches the off wheel horse."
- "[F]rom his [Benjamin Ruggles'] well-known habits of industry and constant devotion to the interests of his constituents, he was called "The Wheelhorse of the Senate.""
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kʷelh₁-redup. Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *kʷekʷléh₂ Proto-Germanic *hweulō Old English hwēol Middle English whel English wheel Proto-Indo-European *ḱers- Proto-Indo-European *-ós Proto-Indo-European *ḱr̥sós? Proto-Indo-European *h₁wers-? Proto-Indo-European *wers- Proto-Indo-European *-ḗn Proto-Indo-European *wérsēn Proto-Indo-Iranian *(w)ŕ̥šā Proto-Iranian *(w)ŕ̥šāder.? Proto-Germanic *hrussą Proto-West Germanic *hross Old English hors Middle English hors English horse English wheelhorse From wheel + horse. Sense 2 (“person who labors heavily for a cause”) is from the fact that a horse nearest to the wheels of a carriage that it is drawing does much of the pulling work.
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈʍiːlhɔɹs/
- British English: /ˈʍiːlhɔː(ɹ)s/