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

Police said Terill Jenkins, 44, was walking near the intersection of Lexington Avenue and East 61st Street when he was struck by a tractor-trailer. —Dave Carlin, CBS News, 21 Mar. 2026

The Tucson hit both vehicles before slamming into the police cruiser and the tractor-trailer, cops said. —Julian Roberts-Grmela, New York Daily News, 21 Mar. 2026

Four Michigan police officers were injured Wednesday while heroically saving five people trapped inside a car that crashed into a tractor-trailer and burst into flames in Michigan. —Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 18 Mar. 2026

Fire officials said the victim was pinned between the stones and the inside wall of the tractor-trailer. —Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 17 Mar. 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