tram
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A train with wheels that runs on a road.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
tramIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈtɹæm
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A similar vehicle for carrying materials.
USrail transport
A people mover.
us
A train with wheels that runs on a road; a trackless train.
us
An aerial cable car.
verb
intransitive
To operate, or conduct the business of, a tramway.
Travel by tram
transitive
To transport (material) by tram.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced (estimated)
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Formality
- Technical
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A train with wheels that runs on a road; a trackless train.
Used this way, tram is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Nearby words
- tramcar , rarer, so it draws attention
- trolley , used mainly in Regional English
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Related Words
Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.