Sedan Meaning
/səˈdæn/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounAn enclosed windowed chair suitable for a single occupant, carried by at least two porters, in equal numbers in front and behind, using wooden rails that passed through metal brackets on the sides of the chair.
nounAn automobile designed in a configuration with separate compartments for engine space, driver/passenger space, and luggage or (limited) cargo space.
Sentence Examples
The elderly couple drive a brand new sedan.
For long drives, a sedan is more comfortable than a pickup truck.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The family bought a four-door ____ because they needed a practical everyday vehicle.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The family chose a practical ____ with a large boot for their long road trips.
Word Origin & History
The sense of "windowed chair" was first used by Sir Sanders Duncombe in 1634, possibly from a southern Italian dialect of Italian sede (“seat”), from Latin sedes. The "motorcar" sense was first recorded in 1912 in North America.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The People who had often heard of me, were very curious to croud about the Sedan, and the Girl was complaiſant enough to make the Bearers ſtop, and to take me in her Hand that I might be conveniently ſeen."
— 1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], “The Country Described. […]”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume I, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part II (A Voyage to Brobdingnag), pages 222–223:
"In addition there was a companion four-door sedan, mounted on the C- 38 Series 121.5-inch platform and equipped with the 1 14-horsepower L-head six."
— 1996, Dennis Adler, Fifties Flashback: The American Car, published 2004, page 22:
"The 1929 Model A Tudor sedan on these pages will receive a mild top chop of 3 inches, combined with the installation of a rear delivery door and a filled roof."
— 2005, Dennis W. Parks, American Hot Rod: How to Build a Hot Rod with Boyd Coddington, page 115:
"A hint of the truth broke on him after Sedan, when he saw the dyed moustaches of Napoleon going grey; another when he entered Paris, and saw the smashed windows of the Tuileries."
— 1908–1910 (date written; published 1910 October 18), E[dward] M[organ] Forster, Howards End, London: Edward Arnold, →OCLC:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The family bought a four-door ____ because they needed a practical everyday vehicle.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The family chose a practical ____ with a large boot for their long road trips.