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

The Legislature approved language in its 2027 budget trailer bill that allows officials to negotiate a new reimbursement plan for San Mateo County. — Maddie White, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026

In the official teaser trailer for Paul Thomas Anderson‘s Cameron Winter at Carnegie Hall, thousands of people funnel into the famed venue looking for both warmth and escape in a cold New York December. — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 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
• red band 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