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a heavy two-wheeled vehicle, commonly without springs, drawn by mules, oxen, or the like, used for the conveyance of heavy goods.
a light two-wheeled vehicle with springs, drawn by a horse or pony.
any small vehicle pushed or pulled by hand.
Obsolete. a chariot.
to haul or convey in or as if in a cart or truck:
to cart garbage to the dump.
to drive a cart.
cart off/away, to transport or take away in an unceremonious manner:
The police came and carted him off to jail.
on the water cart, British. wagon (def 14).
put the cart before the horse, to do or place things in improper order; be illogical.
Contemporary Examples

He places his cart at the corner and starts pushing the trash toward it.
Stanley Booth on the Life and Hard Times of Blues Genius Furry Lewis Stanley Booth June 6, 2014

One or two are elaborate conglomerates of speakers tied down to a cart, or a bike trailer.
Decentralized Dance Parties: Raves’ Next Wave Winston Ross February 2, 2012

Furry puts the bandanna in his pocket and moves on, walking behind the cart.
Stanley Booth on the Life and Hard Times of Blues Genius Furry Lewis Stanley Booth June 6, 2014

Finally, last season, Idol’s annus horribilis, the wheels fell off the cart entirely.
Four Reasons American Idol Is Back From the Dead Richard Rushfield March 7, 2011

Deb Fischer’s win in Nebraska upsets the cart, insofar as her victory was totally unexpected.
Fischer vs. Kerrey in Nebraska Michael Tomasky May 15, 2012

Historical Examples

I wish you could send down your cart to fetch it from there to Padstow.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2) Francis Trevithick

This convinced me that the cart belonged to Mr. Gosse, who I knew had returned.
Explorations in Australia John Forrest

Dusty Rhoads put his cart away and started back to his barracks.
The Scarlet Lake Mystery Harold Leland Goodwin

The people with the cart could not overtake me, and I returned.
Journal of an Expedition into the Interior of Tropical Australia Thomas Mitchell

Free the mule of the cart, and of all harness but the bare halter.
The Cloister and the Hearth Charles Reade

noun
a heavy open vehicle, usually having two wheels and drawn by horses, used in farming and to transport goods
a light open horse-drawn vehicle having two wheels and springs, for business or pleasure
any small vehicle drawn or pushed by hand, such as a trolley
put the cart before the horse, to reverse the usual or natural order of things
verb
(usually transitive) to use or draw a cart to convey (goods, etc): to cart groceries
(transitive) to carry with effort; haul: to cart wood home
noun
(radio, television) short for cartridge (sense 4)
abbreviation
Championship Auto Racing Teams
n.

c.1200, from Old Norse kartr or a similar Scandinavian source, akin to and replacing Old English cræt “cart, wagon, chariot,” perhaps originally “body of a cart made of wickerwork, hamper” and related to Middle Dutch cratte “woven mat, hamper,” Dutch krat “basket,” Old English cradol (see cradle (n.)). To put the cart before the horse in a figurative sense is from 1510s in those words; the image in other words dates to mid-14c.
v.

“to carry in a cart,” late 14c., from cart (n.). Related: Carted; carting.

verb

To transport; move; take: I carted him over to the drug store/ Jesse James could have waltzed in there and carted off all the patio furniture (1880s+)
Championship Auto Racing Team
cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript

a vehicle moving on wheels, and usually drawn by oxen (2 Sam. 6:3). The Hebrew word thus rendered, _’agalah_ (1 Sam. 6:7, 8), is also rendered “wagon” (Gen. 45:19). It is used also to denote a war-chariot (Ps. 46:9). Carts were used for the removal of the ark and its sacred utensils (Num. 7:3, 6). After retaining the ark amongst them for seven months, the Philistines sent it back to the Israelites. On this occasion they set it in a new cart, probably a rude construction, with solid wooden wheels like that still used in Western Asia, which was drawn by two milch cows, which conveyed it straight to Beth-shemesh. A “cart rope,” for the purpose of fastening loads on carts, is used (Isa. 5:18) as a symbol of the power of sinful pleasures or habits over him who indulges them. (See CORD.) In Syria and Palestine wheel-carriages for any other purpose than the conveyance of agricultural produce are almost unknown.

cart before the horse, put the
cart off