Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Tarantass \Tar`an*tass"\, n. [Russ. tarantas'.]
   A low four-wheeled carriage used in Russia. The carriage box
   rests on two long, springy poles which run from the fore to
   the hind axletree. When snow falls, the wheels are taken off,
   and the body is mounted on a sledge.