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
In the course of its operations against ISIS, for example, the United States struck oil wells, refineries, and tanker trucks.
—
Oona A. Hathaway, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
While work crews continued dismantling dams on the Klamath River, leaders of four tribes gathered on a riverbank last week to watch and offer prayers as a valve on a tanker truck was opened.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2024
The spill forced hundreds of nearby residents out of their homes and sparked fears, as five tankers carried vinyl chloride, which posed serious health risks, burned, sending a massive plume of black smoke into the sky.
—Mark Osborne, ABC News, 9 Apr. 2024
Wildlife officials found their carcasses on the streambank or still inside the tanker.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Apr. 2024
There have been no reports from tankers or oil wells about potential spills.
—Laylan Connelly, Orange County Register, 8 Mar. 2024
Traders mostly fear a widening conflict could disrupt tanker shipments from the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz.
—Srinivasan Sivabalan, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2024
Their bodies were recovered either in the tanker or on the streambank, according to the news release.
—Zoe Sottile, CNN, 7 Apr. 2024
Crew at the Lookingglass Hatchery in Elgin, Oregon, had loaded up a 53-foot tanker truck with water and 102,000 18-month-old spring Chinook salmon.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Apr. 2024
Oona A. Hathaway, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
While work crews continued dismantling dams on the Klamath River, leaders of four tribes gathered on a riverbank last week to watch and offer prayers as a valve on a tanker truck was opened.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2024
The spill forced hundreds of nearby residents out of their homes and sparked fears, as five tankers carried vinyl chloride, which posed serious health risks, burned, sending a massive plume of black smoke into the sky.
—Mark Osborne, ABC News, 9 Apr. 2024
Wildlife officials found their carcasses on the streambank or still inside the tanker.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Apr. 2024
There have been no reports from tankers or oil wells about potential spills.
—Laylan Connelly, Orange County Register, 8 Mar. 2024
Traders mostly fear a widening conflict could disrupt tanker shipments from the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz.
—Srinivasan Sivabalan, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2024
Their bodies were recovered either in the tanker or on the streambank, according to the news release.
—Zoe Sottile, CNN, 7 Apr. 2024
Crew at the Lookingglass Hatchery in Elgin, Oregon, had loaded up a 53-foot tanker truck with water and 102,000 18-month-old spring Chinook salmon.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tanker.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near tanker
Cite this Entry
“Tanker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tanker. Accessed 1 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tanker
noun
tank·er
ˈtaŋ-kər 
: a vehicle (as a ship, truck, or aircraft) designed for the transportation of liquids
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