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

The chief added that an operator of a tractor-trailer crashed into the officer. —Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 7 Jan. 2026

The tractor-trailer driver was taken to an area hospital with minor injuries. —Anna Meiler, CBS News, 7 Jan. 2026

The officer also reported Patel followed a tractor-trailer too closely before the stop. —Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 7 Jan. 2026

The firm also has its own Postal Vehicle Service with more than 12,000 drivers that operate 2,364 tractors and 7,351 trailers. —Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 7 Jan. 2026

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