carport

IPA/ˈkɑːpɔːt/
KK[kˈɑrpˌɔrt]IPA/ˈkɑːrpɔːrt/

carport — noun

  • carportsingular
  • carportsplural

1. a covered place for keeping a car, with posts and at least one side left open, o

1.nounB2
Definition

a covered place for keeping a car, with posts and at least one side left open, often attached beside a home

Example

Lucas parked his small van under the carport before the hail started.

collocation: under the carport

Rain drummed on the carport roof while Jiwoo carried groceries inside.

collocation: carport roof

Common collocations
  • carport roof
  • carport post
  • double carport
  • park in the carport
  • pull under the carport
Synonyms
  • garage

    usually means a more enclosed space with walls and often a door

  • canopy

    can mean just the overhead cover, not always a full parking space

  • shelter

    is broader and can refer to cover for many things, not only cars

Grammar Patterns

a carport

under the carport

park in the carport

Usage Note

Usually beside a house and open at the sides. Unlike a garage, it gives weather cover without making a fully enclosed room.

Common Mistakes

The car stayed dry in the garage with no walls.
The car stayed dry in the carport with no walls.
A garage is enclosed, but a carport has open sides.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For noun sense 1, carport is the everyday word for a covered place where a car stands beside a house, but the sides stay partly open. A garage is more enclosed and often has walls and a door, so people also use it for storage or repairs. A driveway is simply the area you drive onto and may have no roof at all. A canopy is mainly the covering overhead, not always a full parking space. A shed is usually for tools, bikes, or garden things rather than daily parking. Use carport when the key idea is easy access with weather cover: We left the car under the carport. Use garage when the car is inside a closed space.

Common collocations

Nouns

  • carport roof
  • carport post
  • carport space

Phrases

  • park in the carport
  • pull under the carport
  • fit under the carport

Prepositions

  • under the carport
  • in the carport
  • beside the carport

Etymology

English

Carport is a modern English compound formed from car and port. It was created to name a place where a car can be kept under cover without building a fully enclosed garage. In present-day English, speakers use the whole word for an open-sided structure beside a house.