semitrailer

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noun semi·trail·er \ ˈse-ˌmī-ˌtrā-lər , ˈse-mē- , -mi- \

Definition of semitrailer

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

See semitrailer defined for English-language learners

See semitrailer defined for kids

Recent Examples of semitrailer from the Web

Local television station KHOU went offline while covering the rescue of a driver in a semitrailer stuck in more than 10 feet of water near the Interstate 610 loop.

— Alaska Dispatch News, "Harvey may force 30,000 people into shelters while flooding will linger," 28 Aug. 2017
The semitrailer may have been involved with the horse show taking place in the Cleveland Metroparks.

— john benson, cleveland.com, "Impaired driver arrested with drug pipe in his shoe: Brecksville Police Blotter," 24 Aug. 2017
Eleven months ago, the Naperville native was run over by a semitrailer while riding her bicycle in Chicago.

— suzanne baker, Naperville Sun, "Naperville woman who became amputee a year ago prepping for Chicago Triathlon," 18 Aug. 2017
At the crash scene, Speegle watched as a semitrailer truck came to a stop.

— pat caldwell, idahostatesman, "After Idaho man’s wild weekend, a deadly desert crash in Oregon," 10 July 2017
Feed sales are down more than $35,000 since August, and one large customer — a hunting group that feeds deer over the winter — canceled an order for more than a semitrailer load of deer feed.

— lee bergquist and bob riepenhoff, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Survey says 88% plan to hunt this fall, even a 12% drop would mean 80,000 fewer hunters," 6 July 2017
A fur company will haul the animals to La Crosse, where they will be skinned, compacted with shrink-wrap, frozen and stored in refrigerated semitrailers.

— rick romell, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "With deer hunting woven into our cultural and economic fabric, a threat to the herd could turn catastrophic," 6 July 2017
This yogurt boom explains why the dairy cooler at your local supermarket is now the size of a semitrailer.

— markham heid, Time, "You Asked: What’s the Healthiest Yogurt?," 28 June 2017
The 44-year-old man driving the semitrailer was not injured.

— kaylee remington, cleveland.com, "Mansfield woman killed, boy seriously injured in Lorain County crash," 23 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'semitrailer.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of semitrailer

1919

SEMITRAILER Defined for English Language Learners

semitrailer

play

noun

Definition of semitrailer for English Language Learners

: a long trailer that has wheels at the rear and is attached at its forward end to a large truck
: a large truck with a long trailer attached to the back of it