[f. TRAM sb.2 III. + CAR.] A public car or carriage running on a tramway for the conveyance of passengers; called earlier tramway car, and already in 1879 simply tram (TRAM sb.2 6). Tram-carriage (TRAM sb.2 8) is cited 1868.
1873. Engineer, 28 Nov., 353. A trial of Grantham’s steam tram car. Ibid. (1876), 26 May, 400. A heavy vehicle such as an omnibus or a tram car.
1879. Trans. Soc. Engineers, 195. The Italian tram cars enabled him to see nearly the whole of the city of Turin for … sixpence.
1883. F. M. Crawford, Dr. Claudius, xiii. The ceaseless ring of the tram-cars stopping every few steps to pick up a passenger.
1905. R. Bagot, Passport, iii. In a quiet and secluded position … undisturbed by the noise of the tram-cars.
attrib. 1880. Proc. Inst. Mech. Engin., 199. The flange of a tramcar wheel.
