Transportation: English Vocabulary List

a service where people can rent cars for short periods, often by the hour

"We use carshare."

"The carshare program allows members to rent vehicles by the hour from neighborhood parking spots."

a type of railway powered by cables that goes up and down a slope

"We took the funicular."

"The funicular railway climbs the steep mountain carrying tourists to the scenic overlook."

a large open space or hallway within a building, often used for gatherings or as a central area in transportation hubs like airports or train stations

"The concourse was busy."

"Passengers gathered in the spacious concourse, awaiting their departure announcements at the bustling international airport."

a temporary driving license allowing learners to practice driving before obtaining a full license

"He has a provisional license."

"He passed the written test and received a provisional license allowing supervised driving only."

an automobile that is smaller than a full-sized car, making it easier to drive and park in tight spaces

"I drive a compact car."

"The compact car is easy to park in tight city spaces but has limited trunk room."

the rear door of a car, truck, or van that can be opened downwards when loading or unloading goods

"We sat on the truck's tailgate and watched the sunset."

"We sat on the truck's tailgate eating sandwiches and watching the sunset over the lake."

the back portion or tail section of a vehicle

"He hit the rear end."

"The car crashed into the rear end of the truck."

an aircraft with rotating blades driven by engine power for lift

"The autogiro flew."

"The autogiro uses an unpowered rotor to generate lift while a propeller provides forward thrust."

a technology that uses optical character recognition to read vehicle license plates

"Automatic number plate recognition works."

"Police use automatic number plate recognition to identify stolen vehicles quickly without stopping traffic."

a long, narrow boat used for transportation in Venice

"We rode in a gondola."

"The couple took a romantic gondola ride through the canals of Venice at sunset."

a network of tubes that uses compressed air or vacuum to transport small items or documents quickly and securely within a building or facility

"The bank uses pneumatic tube system."

"The hospital uses a pneumatic tube system to send lab samples between departments rapidly."

a type of watercraft featuring two parallel hulls that are typically connected by a deck or trampoline

"They sailed on a catamaran."

"The catamaran sailed smoothly across the bay because its two hulls provided excellent stability."

a self-balancing electric vehicle used for short-distance transportation

"He rode a Segway."

"Tourists on Segways glided silently through the historic district following their guide wearing headsets."

a transportation system that uses magnetic fields to propel vehicles without contact with the ground

"Magnetic levitation trains are fast."

"The magnetic levitation train hovers above the tracks reducing friction and allowing incredible speeds."

a compact, three-wheeled taxi popular in many Asian cities

"We took a tuk-tuk to the market."

"The colorful tuk-tuk is one of the most popular and affordable ways to travel around Bangkok."

a type of transportation that is capable of operating on both land and water

"The army used an amphibious vehicle."

"The amphibious vehicle drove off the boat ramp and continued moving on land seamlessly."

a fast boat fitted with winglike structures beneath the hull that lift it above the water's surface at high speed

"The hydrofoil is fast."

"The hydrofoil lifted above the water reducing drag and allowing faster ferry crossings."

to start a car's engine without the key by using the wires attached to it

"He tried to hot-wire the car."

"The thief managed to hot-wire the old truck and drive away before anyone noticed what was happening."

to secure a boat by means of cables or anchors in a particular place

"Moor the boat to the dock."

"The sailor needed to moor the boat securely to the dock before the storm arrived."

to change the originally planned path or direction of something, especially in transportation

"They rerouted the traffic around construction."

"The airline had to reroute the flight due to unexpected severe weather conditions over the Atlantic."

to abruptly turn to a different direction

"The car veered off the road."

"The car suddenly veered off the road to avoid hitting a deer that jumped out."

to run an engine of a vehicle very quickly

"He gunned the engine loudly."

"The drag racer gunned the engine loudly before speeding off down the quarter mile track."

a vast paved area in an airport where aircrafts are parked

"The plane is on the apron."

"Ground crew members guided the aircraft to its designated parking spot on the busy airport apron."

a vehicle equipped with a transmission system that delivers power to all four wheels

"He bought a four-wheel drive."

"Four wheel drive is essential for driving on muddy roads or snowy mountain passes safely."

an old type of bicycle that is moved forward by pedal

"He rode a velocipede."

"The velocipede was an early bicycle with a large front wheel and small rear wheel."

to crash violently into an obstacle

"The car did ram."

"The speeding truck tragically rammed into the bridge support, causing a major accident."

to cause a car's engine to stop working

"The car will stall."

"If you don't press the clutch properly, you'll stall the engine when changing gears."

to move effortlessly, often downhill, without using power

"The car coasted down the hill."

"The driver turned off the engine and allowed the car to coast down the long steep hill."

to run an engine slowly without being engaged in any work or gear

"The engine idled in traffic."

"The truck engine continued to idle while the driver waited for the traffic light to change."