dung-cart

A farmer pushes a dung-cart across the farmyard.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A cart for transporting dung: "dung-cart" refers to a vehicle, typically a simple wagon or cart, used to carry animal excrement (dung), often for agricultural purposes such as fertilizing fields.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The farmer loaded the dung-cart with manure from the stable. (A cart used to transport animal waste.)
  • In the 19th century, a dung-cart was a common sight on rural roads. (A vehicle for moving dung for farming.)

Advanced Usage

• "to ride a dung-cart": a figurative or historical expression meaning to work in a lowly, unpleasant job.
  • He started his career riding a dung-cart before becoming a wealthy landowner. (He began with menial farm labor.)

Variants and Related Words

• Dung (n): animal excrement, especially used as fertilizer.
  • The dung was spread on the fields to enrich the soil. (Animal waste used for farming.)
• Cart (n): a two-wheeled or four-wheeled vehicle used for carrying loads, usually pulled by a horse or ox.
  • The cart was filled with hay for the animals. (A simple vehicle for transport.)
• Dung-heap (n): a pile of dung.
  • The dung-heap behind the barn attracted flies. (A collection of animal waste.)

Synonyms

• Manure cart: a cart specifically for carrying manure (fertilizer made from dung).
• Muck cart: a cart used for transporting muck (a mixture of dung and other organic waste).

Related Idioms

• "To be in the dung-cart": an old idiom meaning to be in a degrading or lowly situation.
  • After losing his fortune, he was in the dung-cart for years. (Experiencing a humiliating or impoverished state.)