trailer

1 of 2

noun

trail·​er ˈtrā-lər 

1

: a nonautomotive vehicle designed to be hauled by road: such as

a

: a vehicle for transporting something

a boat trailer

especially : semitrailer sense 1

b

: a vehicle designed to serve wherever parked as a temporary dwelling or place of business

c

: mobile home

2

a

: a selected group of scenes that are shown to advertise a movie : preview sense 3

a theatrical trailer

b

: a short blank strip of film attached to the end of a reel

3

: one that trails

4

: a trailing plant

trailer

2 of 2

verb

trailered; trailering; trailers

intransitive verb

1

: to live or travel in or with a trailer

2

: to be transportable by trailer

a light boat that trailers easily

transitive verb

: to transport (something, such as a boat) by means of a trailer

trailerable

ˈtrā-lə-rə-bəl 

adjective

trailering

ˈtrā-lə-riŋ 

noun

Synonyms of trailer

Noun

• caravan
• RV
• camper
• van

Examples of trailer in a Sentence

Noun

We helped them load the furniture onto the trailer.

the band packed their equipment back into their trailer and headed off to their next gig

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In June, Little Free Library partnered with Sony to drop copies of Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel Klara and the Sun in various book boxes after the sci-fi film’s trailer release. — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026

Several instances of bullets hitting homes and construction trailers in the area, Mayor Brad Pike reminded the council. — Noah Daly august 5, Idaho Statesman, 5 Aug. 2026

Verb

Rice also trailers boats to fish the Monomoy Flats, particularly in early summer. — Ken Perrotte, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026

Check out the Alley Cats trailer below. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 25 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1590, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Verb

1938, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing trailer

• house trailer
• tractor-trailer
• trailer park
• trailer trash
• travel trailer

Rhymes for trailer

• bailer
• bailor
• baler
• jailer
• jailor
• paler
• sailer
• sailor
• scalar
• scaler
• tailor
• whaler

Kids Definition

trailer

noun

trail·​er

ˈtrā-lər

1

: one that trails

2

a

: a vehicle designed to be hauled (as by a tractor)

b

: a vehicle designed to serve wherever parked as a dwelling or as a place of business

3

: preview entry 2 sense 2