noun
hansom
HAN-sum/ˈhænsəm/
A two-wheeled horse-drawn cab with the driver seated behind.
A horse pulls the hansom while its driver sits behind.
Etymology
The architect Hansom’s surname became the name of the cab he designed. The familiar rear driver’s seat belonged to the popular form; his original design placed the driver at the side.
In context
At last the sound of wheels was heard, and Mrs. Popper drove up in a hansom, accompanied by Farrington.
More examples
- She steps into a hansom outside the theater.
- The museum displays two restored hansoms.
- He pays the hansom driver at the end of the ride.
Forms
hansom · hansoms
Similar words
- cab
- Broader term for a hired vehicle, now usually a motorized taxi.
- carriage
- Broader horse-drawn passenger vehicle, without a fixed wheel or seating arrangement.