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

Small flies, like fruit flies, go for sugary, fermenting sources — think alcohol or fruit trays left sitting out. — Sharon Wu, USA Today, 4 July 2026

Dowding sows both leeks and celeriac under cover in module trays at the same time, around mid-March. — Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 30 June 2026

Per the outlet, Martin cleans tables and floors, restocks sauces and keeps trays moving to customers. — Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026

To keep things simple, make a tray of these fan-favorites with ham and cheese layered between Hawaiian rolls that everyone will love. — Patricia S York, Southern Living, 4 July 2026

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