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

Two United Arab Emirates tankers were hit by Iranian missiles in the southern part of the waterway, killing one crew member, the UAE’s Defense Ministry said. — Helen Regan, CNN Money, 14 July 2026

Riyadh has been diverting about four million barrels a day of crude oil from their east-west pipeline over to Yanbu, loading tankers, many of which are going out the Red Sea, data provided by Lipow showed. — Lee Ying Shan,sam Meredith, CNBC, 14 July 2026

The United Arab Emirates' defense ministry said two of its tankers were targeted by Iranian cruise missiles while transiting the shipping lane of the Strait of Hormuz in Omani waters, killing one person. — Npr Staff, NPR, 14 July 2026

Iran responded with attacks targeting Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and three tankers that traveled through the strait. — Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 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