tractor

trac·tor

noun \ˈtrak-tər\

: a large vehicle that has two large back wheels and two smaller front wheels and that is used to pull farm equipment

: a short, heavy truck that is designed to pull a large trailer

Full Definition of TRACTOR

1

a :  a 4-wheeled or tracklaying automotive vehicle used especially for drawing farm equipment

b :  a smaller 2-wheeled apparatus controlled through handlebars by a walking operator

c :  ³truck 3f

2

:  an airplane having the propeller forward of the main supporting surfaces

Illustration of TRACTOR

Origin of TRACTOR

New Latin, from Latin trahere

First Known Use: 1900

Rhymes with TRACTOR

factor

trac·tor

noun \ˈtrak-tər\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of TRACTOR

: an instrument used to exert traction on a body part or tissue (as in surgical procedures) <a urethral tractor>

tractor

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

High-power, low-speed traction vehicle. The two main types are wheeled and continuous-track. Most modern tractors are powered by internal-combustion engines running on gasoline or diesel fuel. Tractors are used in agriculture, construction, and road building, for pulling equipment such as plows and cultivators, for pushing implements such as bulldozers and diggers, and for operating stationary devices such as saws and winches. The first tractors grew out of the steam engines used on farms in the late 19th century; in 1892 an Iowa blacksmith, John Froehlich, built the first farm vehicle powered by a gasoline engine. The tractor revolutionized farming, displacing draft animals and many farm workers. By World War I the tractor inspired the tanks built by the British and French.