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

Videos from the fire zone showed towering smoke plumes rising above trees and neighborhoods as airplane tankers dropped fire retardant on the fast-moving flames. — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026

The tanker has been grounded since June, according to two shipping and maritime news outlets which reported that the crew reported an explosion on board at the time. — ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026

Saudi tankers are already sailing from Red Sea terminals through the Suez Canal and around Africa, a detour that adds nearly 25 days to shipments to Asia, Nasser said. — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Brent oil was about 1% higher at around $80 per barrel Wednesday after Iran's Houthi allies claimed to have attacked a Saudi tanker in the Red Sea. — Sean Conlon,joseph Wilkins,lee Ying Shan,tobias Burns, CNBC, 4 Aug. 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