tanker

noun

tank·​er ˈtaŋ-kər 

1

a

: a cargo ship fitted with tanks for carrying liquid in bulk

b

: a vehicle on which a tank is mounted to carry fluids

also : a cargo airplane for transporting fuel

2

: a member of a military tank crew

Examples of tanker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But the increasing tanker traffic is an encouraging step toward normalization of global oil flows. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 26 June 2026

Around Christmas 2024 the Estlink 2 cable between Finland and Estonia went down after a shadow-fleet tanker, the Eagle S, dragged its anchor across the seabed. — Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026

Trump has made the DFC a centerpiece of other energy dominance objectives, including to provide war-risk insurance for tankers passing the Strait of Hormuz. — Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 25 June 2026

Lewisville Police said the crash involved a tanker explosion and that officers from its department were helping with traffic control. — Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 24 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing tanker

• oil tanker

Rhymes for tanker

• anchor
• anker
• banker
• canker
• hanker
• rancor
• shanker

Kids Definition

tanker

noun

tank·​er ˈtaŋ-kər 

: a vehicle (as a ship, truck, or aircraft) designed for the transportation of liquids