semitrailer

noun

semi·​trail·​er ˈse-ˌmī-ˌtrā-lər How to pronounce semitrailer (audio)
ˈse-mē-,
-mi-
plural semitrailers
1
: a freight trailer that when attached is supported at its forward end by the fifth wheel device of the truck tractor
2
: a trucking rig made up of a tractor and a semitrailer

called also big rig

Examples of semitrailer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Investigators believe the woman ran into the roadway, stumbled and fell in front of the semitrailer truck traveling eastbound in the 1600 block of New York Avenue, the station reported. Khaleda Rahman shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025 She was let go from the traffic stop, which was for following a semitrailer too closely, with a warning. Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 17 June 2025 The semitrailer then continued over the median into the northbound lanes, struck another semitrailer carrying gasoline and rolled onto its side, blocking both directions of I-25, according to the release. Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 29 May 2025 The National Transportation Safety Board said driver fatigue and poor company oversight of its drivers also played key roles when the Greyhound bus exited Interstate 70 onto a rest area ramp east of St. Louis and struck three semitrailers parked on the shoulder. John O'Connor, Chicago Tribune, 21 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for semitrailer

Word History

First Known Use

1912, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of semitrailer was in 1912

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Cite this Entry

“Semitrailer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/semitrailer. Accessed 27 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

semitrailer

noun
semi·​trail·​er ˈsem-i-ˌtrā-lər How to pronounce semitrailer (audio)
ˈsem-ˌī-
1
: a freight trailer that when attached is supported at its forward end by the truck tractor
2
: a trucking rig made up of a tractor and a semitrailer

More from Merriam-Webster on semitrailer

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