tractor

noun

trac·​tor ˈtrak-tər 

1

a

: a 4-wheeled or tracklaying automotive vehicle used especially for drawing farm equipment

b

: a smaller 2-wheeled apparatus controlled through handlebars by a walking operator

c

: truck entry 1 sense 1b

2

: an airplane having the propeller forward of the main supporting surfaces

Illustration of tractor

• tractor 1a

Examples of tractor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In fact, Reynolds, Lively, Vision’s Sloane and the NYT are all hoping to be cut loose from Baldoni’s legal tractor beam. —Dominic Patten, Deadline, 8 May 2025

That Super Hornet, along with the tow tractor that was pulling it, fell off the ship on April 28, the office of the Navy chief of information in Bahrain said in a statement. —Mosheh Gains, NBC news, 7 May 2025

The crew had lost control of the jet, which fell into the Red Sea along with the tow tractor. —Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2025

This tractor has a bucket on the front that is designed to scoop heavy loads. Det. —Susan Mallie, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin trahere

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing tractor

• tractor trailer

Rhymes for tractor

• acter
• actor
• factor
• attractor
• cofactor
• compactor
• contactor
• contractor
• distractor
• extractor
• impactor
• protractor

Kids Definition

tractor

noun

trac·​tor ˈtrak-tər 

1

: a vehicle that has large rear wheels or moves on tracks and is used especially for pulling farm implements

2

: a short truck with no body used in combination with a trailer for hauling freight

Medical Definition

tractor

noun

trac·​tor ˈtrak-tər 

: an instrument used to exert traction on a body part or tissue (as in surgical procedures)

a urethral tractor