Meanings
plural buckwagons · alternative buck-wagon
- South AfricaA strong wagon with a frame over the wheels used for hauling goods.
Upon each loaded buck-wagon, drawn by any sort of animals, not exceeding sixteen in number £0.17s.6d.
1871, "An Act to Promote the Construction of a Bridge or Bridges over the Orange River", Cape of Good Hope - USA buckboard; a wagon for personal transport as well as transporting goods.
...while on the remaining days of the week a two-horse buck-wagon or hack is used.
1880, B.B. Simms, “Post-Office Deficiencies § Texas”, in United States congressional serial set, page 304
Origin
- Old Englishbuc“buck; deer”
- Middle Englishbouk“belly”
- Afrikaansbok“buck; goat”
- Englishbuckwagon
From Afrikaans bok (“buck; goat”) and English wagon. The Oxford English Dictionary suggests a possible derivation from Middle English bouk (“belly”) or Old English buc (“buck; deer”).
More words from Afrikaans, Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
buckwagon. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/buckwagon
“buckwagon.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/buckwagon. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “buckwagon,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/buckwagon.
Source: buckwagon on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.