trailer

1 of 2

noun

trail·​er ˈtrā-lər How to pronounce trailer (audio)
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
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 adjective
trailering noun

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
Investigators also found that a carbon monoxide alarm in the trailer was not working. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2024 Phillips’ retro designs have been teased in trailer for the film, which opens on Dec. 25. Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 3 Oct. 2024
Verb
My family would trailer canoes up and over the parkway to Abrams Creek for camping trips—often with Mom behind the wheel, my siblings and I in tow, and Dad on his bicycle ahead of us. Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 22 Sep. 2024 Vernon and a wrangler from Tally Barn in Tularosa would trailer our horses into camp the next morning. Bruce Brady, Outdoor Life, 12 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for trailer 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'trailer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1590, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Verb

1938, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of trailer was in 1590

Dictionary Entries Near trailer

Cite this Entry

“Trailer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trailer. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on trailer

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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