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

Goldman initiated coverage of China’s largest agricultural tractor producer by 2024 sales revenue. —Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 14 Dec. 2025

At least three people were injured after a tractor-trailer overturned in a crash, causing a gridlock on the New Jersey Turnpike during rush hour in Mount Laurel, Friday night. —Tom Dougherty, CBS News, 12 Dec. 2025

That suit names as defendants the Texas Department of Transportation, NTE Mobility Partners, various companies and drivers operating tractor-trailers involved in the crash, and people driving other kinds of vehicles. —Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Dec. 2025

Vehicles not meeting passenger vehicle characteristics including, but not limited to, tractor-trailers, buses, motor homes and step or cube vans, the Authority said. —Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 11 Dec. 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