sick-wagon

English

Alternative forms

• sick wagon
• sick-waggon (UK)

Etymology

From sick +‎ wagon. Sense of "ambulance" likely a calque of German Krankenwagen.

Noun

sick-wagon (plural sick-wagons)

1. (historical) a covered wagon used to convey or transport those who are sick in a wagon train
   • 2010, Earnest "Tex" Sims Sr., Once Upon A Time in the Past: The Sons of Sam Logan, page 30:

     The sick-wagon appeared only a silver dot in the crimsoning distance. Except for her son, the black woman was along in the wagon.

2. (dated) a vehicle used to convey or transport those who are sick or injured
   • 1871, The Contemporary Review, volume 16, page 605:

     This corps is divided into companies, one for each division of .the army corps ; and, duly supplied with sick-waggons, store-carts, and litters, is placed entirely at the disposal of the medical officers.

   • 1879, New York (N.Y.). Dept. of Public Charities and Correction, Annual Report of the Commissioners of Public Charities and Correction of the City of New York, number 20:

     A few more improvements are very essential, such as a new flooring for the Male Wards and Dispensary; another ambulance in place of the sick wagon, as a call for ambulance is often received while it is responding to a previous one, the only resort then being to forward the sick wagon, a vehicle not as suitable as an ambulance, two ambulances thus being more preferable ; also, the repairing of the one on hand, it being in a very poor condition.

   • 1894, Albert Henry Buck, A Reference Handbook of the Medical Sciences Embracing the Entire Range of Scientific and Allied Sciences, volume 1:

     Mr. M. Curley, who was later wagon builder to the Department of Charities and Corrections, being asked to provide a vehicle more suitable for the uses of the Hospital, found it impossible to alter the old "sick wagon" for such service, and a short time afterward delivered by order to the department an ambulance which met with favor.

   • 1906, New York (N.Y.), The City Record - Volume 34, Part 5, page 4238:

     This Bureau issued 67,355 passes to visit Blackwell's and Randall's Islands; 2,303 tickets for meals were given to destitute persons awaiting disposition of their cases; there were 1,183 calls for the sick wagon.

3. (rare, nonstandard) a (modern) ambulance
   • 1868, Frank Moore, The Rebellion Record:

     A hundred and twenty-eight ambulances were provided for the Fourth corps, and yet the fear of the disgrace of having been carted in the sick wagon, and the general good assurance of the men that they are going on no fools errand, kept the men square up to the regiment.

   • 1945, Air Force Magazine, page 28:

     They operated a carrying service from “sick wagon” to “hospital” for those patients with infected feet who could not stand and for those who were too weak to walk.

   • 1990, Clarence R. Meltesen, Roads to liberation from Oflag 64, page 492:

     John and George went on the sick wagon (kranken wagen) the first day.

   • 2014, Jerome A. Greene, American Carnage: Wounded Knee, 1890, page 213:

     The soldiers brought a sick wagon (ambulance), and four soldiers put Big Foot on two gray blankets like the soldiers have and they carried him and put him in the sick wagon.