all-wheel drive

English

Noun

all-wheel drive (countable and uncountable, plural all-wheel drives)

1. A wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously, particularly where power is directed to the wheels with the best contact with the ground.
   • 2012, L.B. Gregg, Men of Smithfield: Mark and Tony, page 123:

     The brave German car's all-wheel drive tackled and spun through almost eight inches of loosely plowed snow.

Usage notes

As well as 4x4 vehicles, the term also applies to 6x6 and 8x8 vehicles.

Related terms

• two-wheel drive
• four-wheel drive

Translations

drive to all wheels

• Finnish: jokapyöräveto
• German: Allrad, Allradantrieb (de) m
• Italian: trazione integrale (it) f
• Japanese: 前輪駆動 (zenrinkudō)