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

Farmers on tractors blocked highways leading into Warsaw while thousands of their supporters gathered in front of the prime minister's office before marching to the parliament. —Vanessa Gera, Quartz, 6 Mar. 2024

Even with graders, plows and tractors to help them clear snow, emergency personnel and tow trucks struggled to reach motorists for hours, some of whom were forced to abandon their cars on the highway. —Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2024

They can be accessed for between eight and 10 weeks this spring, along with activities on the ranch, including tractor wagon rides, mining for gem stones and a strawberry shack. —The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2024

As tractors take over the streets and highways in wave after wave of protests, the farmers have paralyzed major transport arteries and besieged Berlin, Paris and Brussels. —Tilak Doshi, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024

Dozens of tractors drove peacefully into Paris carrying flags from Rural Coordination, the farmers’ union that staged the protest. —Sylvie Corbet, Quartz, 23 Feb. 2024

Many of the tractors may have to stay outside of the city because of government restrictions. —Alicia León, Quartz, 22 Feb. 2024

The farmers, who rode on tractors and trucks from neighboring Haryana and Punjab states, say the government has failed to meet some of their key demands from the previous protests. —Krutika Pathi, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Feb. 2024

Key Facts Tens of thousands of farmers in trucks, buses and tractors are heading towards New Delhi to protest the government and reiterate their long-time demand for a legal guarantee of minimum support price for their produce, among other things. —Siladitya Ray, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin trahere

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing tractor

• tractor trailer

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