carpool

carpool — noun

IPA/ˈkɑːpuːl/
KK[kˈɑrpˌul]IPA/ˈkɑːrpuːl/
  • carpoolsingular
  • carpoolsplural

1. a set of commuters who regularly ride in one car together and often take turns b

1.nounB2
Definition

a set of commuters who regularly ride in one car together and often take turns being the driver

Example

Rohan joined a carpool with three teachers from the neighborhood.

join a carpool + with [group]

The carpool meets outside the bakery at seven every weekday morning.

the carpool + meets + place/time

Common collocations
  • join a carpool
  • start a carpool
  • office carpool
  • school carpool
  • carpool lane
Synonyms
  • ride-share group

    broader term that can also include app-based trips, not only a fixed commute

  • lift club

    older British-style term for an organized shared ride group

  • vanpool

    similar arrangement, but usually uses a larger vehicle and more riders

Antonyms
  • solo commute

    emphasizes that one person travels alone instead of sharing the trip

  • drive-alone trip

    focuses on one occupant using a separate car

Grammar Patterns

join a carpool

start a carpool

school/office carpool

Usage Note

This noun can describe either the people sharing the ride or the regular arrangement they follow. Some sources also write the arrangement sense as the spaced form 'car pool', but the meaning stays the same.

Common Mistakes

I joined the carpooling last month.
I joined the carpool last month.
'carpool' is the usual noun for the group or arrangement, while 'carpooling' names the activity.

2. a set of company or institutional vehicles that workers can use when they need t

2.nounC1
Definition

a set of company or institutional vehicles that workers can use when they need transportation for their jobs

Example

Staff book cars from the company carpool when they visit clients.

book a car from the carpool

The university expanded its carpool after hiring fifty new field workers.

Common collocations
  • company carpool
  • expand the carpool
  • book from the carpool
  • return to the carpool
Synonyms
  • vehicle pool

    neutral organizational term for a shared set of cars

  • motor pool

    common in government or military settings

  • fleet pool

    emphasizes managed company vehicles within a larger fleet

Antonyms
  • private vehicle

    refers to one personally assigned or owned car rather than a shared pool

Grammar Patterns

book a car from the carpool

return a vehicle to the carpool

Usage Note

This sense belongs to workplace or institutional logistics, not to neighbors sharing one ride to work. Here the members of the carpool are vehicles, not commuters.

carpool — verb

IPA/ˈkɑːˌpuːl/
KK[kˈɑrpˌul]IPA/ˈkɑːrˌpuːl/

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These words all involve travelling together, but they are not exact matches. A 'carpool' usually means a small, regular group who share one car for repeated trips such as commuting to work or school. A 'ride-share group' is broader and can include less fixed arrangements or app-based planning. A 'vanpool' works in much the same way as a carpool, but it normally uses a larger vehicle and carries more passengers. 'Lift club' is an older term, especially in British English, for an organized sharing arrangement. If you want to stress the everyday routine of the same people using one car, 'carpool' is the most natural choice.

carpool ↗ride-share groupvanpoollift club

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • join a carpool
  • start a carpool
  • carpool to work
  • carpool with a neighbor

Prepositions

Etymology

English

This is a modern English compound built from 'car' and 'pool'. In this word, 'pool' carries the older idea of several people putting something together for shared use. 'Carpool' developed to describe people saving money, fuel, and parking space by making one vehicle do a trip that several separate cars could have made.

First known use

1945

1945, in the meaning defined above Noun