shopping cart

noun

1
: a metal or plastic cart with four small wheels that is used for holding merchandise when shopping (as at a supermarket or department store)
… about the only amenities besides the jumbo-sized shopping carts are a few flatbed dollies to allow shoppers to get large appliances like refrigerators and washing machines to the cash register and then out to the parking lot.Jean Crichton
2
: a temporary record of items selected for eventual purchase from an online vendor's website
To set up shop on the Internet, you need a commerce-enabled Web site, which includes the electronic shopping cart; a connection to the credit card network; and finally, a merchant account …Tom Negrino
Delivery charges are the No. 1 reason shoppers abandon a virtual shopping cart, according to Jupiter Media Metrix. Every Internet shopper has a shipping-charge horror story.Ellen Neuborn

Examples of shopping cart in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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On that Thursday, children pushed tiny shopping carts as no one used their library voices. Idaho Statesman, 30 Aug. 2026 After checking in, people at Cross-Lines grab a shopping cart and walk through four aisles stocked with fresh produce, dairy, refrigerated meats, shelf-stable goods and hygiene products. Cuyler Dunn, Kansas City Star, 25 Aug. 2026 Royal Oak Public Library now has a policy prohibiting shopping carts and large bags from being brought inside the library. Paula Wethington, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026 The American supermarket, with its endless array of products and innovations like the shopping cart and barcodes, has achieved an almost mythical status around the world. Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shopping cart

Word History

First Known Use

1934, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shopping cart was in 1934

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Cite this Entry

“Shopping cart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shopping%20cart. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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