cabriolet

What it means

1. An automobile with a retractable top.

   Bodywise, the car suffers from the demon rust badly, too. Look at the wings, the door bottoms, boot, and, on cabriolets especially, the inner doors and door pillar rears.

   2014, Porsche 356 Owners Workshop Manual 1957-1965

   Synonyms: convertible

2. historicaloriginallyA light two- or four-wheeled carriage with a folding top, pulled by a single horse.

   "I think," said Isabella, startling Louisa, who had been watching the cabriolet down the street, "that Lady Penrhyn might have asked you to go with mamma."

   1838 (date written), L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter VI, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], published 1842, →OCLC, page 72

   1 more example

   Of late years, cabriolets, and English stanhopes, and tilburys, have been introduced into St. Petersburgh; but the real national carriage for the town is the Droshky.

   1829, Augustus Bozzi Granville, St. Petersburgh, a journal of travels to and from that capital

   Synonyms: roadster

In a sentence

Bodywise, the car suffers from the demon rust badly, too. Look at the wings, the door bottoms, boot, and, on cabriolets especially, the inner doors and door pillar rears.

2014, Porsche 356 Owners Workshop Manual 1957-1965

Where it comes from

1. Frenchcabriolet
2. Frenchcabriolet
3. Englishcabriolet

Borrowed from French cabriolet.