tray

noun

ˈtrā 

: an open receptacle with a flat bottom and a low rim for holding, carrying, or exhibiting articles

trayful

ˈtrā-ˌfu̇l 

noun

Examples of tray in a Sentence

She carried the tray of food to our table.

a car with several storage trays

Recent Examples on the Web

Beneath our feet were trapdoors, which opened to reveal trays of about two hundred oysters. —Emma Green, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025

Group ferns together or place them on a shallow tray of rocks and water to increase humidity. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 13 Oct. 2025

Additionally, the Gravity offers tray tables for those sitting in the back seat. —Stuart Dyos, USA Today, 12 Oct. 2025

Choose only a handful of intentional accents—preferably some that can serve as organizers, like a pretty apothecary jar for cotton rounds or a decorative tray for daily essentials and remove the unnecessary items to keep your space serene. —Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English trīg, trēg; akin to Old Swedish trø wooden grain measure and probably to Old English trēow tree — more at tree entry 1

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing tray

• baking tray
• in tray
• litter tray
• out tray
• tea tray

Rhymes for tray

• ay
• bay
• bey
• brae
• cay
• chez
• dey
• dray
• fay
• fey
• flay
• fray

Kids Definition

tray

noun

ˈtrā 

: an open container with flat bottom and low rim for holding, carrying, or exhibiting articles

trayful

-ˌfu̇l 

noun

Medical Definition

tray

noun

ˈtrā 

: an appliance consisting of a flanged body and a handle for use in holding plastic material against the gums or teeth in making negative impressions for dentures