freighter

noun

freight·​er ˈfrā-tər 

1

: one that loads or charters and loads a ship

2

: shipper

3

: a ship or airplane used chiefly to carry freight

Examples of freighter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Six oil and gas freighters were observed navigating on a route that cleaves close to Oman’s coast. — Weilun Soon, Fortune, 5 July 2026

Ballast water the likely vector Researchers believe the bloody red shrimp first arrived in the Great Lakes from ballast water released from freighter ships that also travel the oceans. — Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 3 July 2026

The other active freighters — Northrop Grumman's Cygnus, Russia's Progress and Japan's HTV-X — are all expendable, burning up in our air at the end of their missions. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 16 June 2026

Best International Narrative Feature went to Labrador — Autopsy of Silence, directed by Rodrigue Jean, which follows an Inuk mechanic who is suspected of murder on a freighter. — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 12 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

freight entry 2 + -er entry 2

First Known Use

1622, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for freighter

• cater
• crater
• frater
• gator
• grater
• greater
• hater
• krater
• later
• plater
• prater
• rater

Kids Definition

freighter

noun

freight·​er ˈfrāt-ər 

1

: a person who carries or ships freight

2

: a ship or airplane used chiefly to carry freight