cable car /ˈkeɪ.bəl ˌkɑːɹ/ noun3 •(US, Philippines) A streetcar moved by gripping to rotating loop of cable running along the track. •A hanging carriage or car for transporting people or cargo. •Any passenger vehicle attached to a moving cable for propulsion, and guided by some form of rails, on a specially-built track not in a street. formscable cars · cable-cars