tray

noun \ ˈtrā \

|Updated on: 6 Aug 2018

Examples: tray in a Sentence

Definition of tray

: an open receptacle with a flat bottom and a low rim for holding, carrying, or exhibiting articles

—

trayful

play \ˈtrā-ˌfu̇l\ noun

See tray defined for English-language learners

See tray defined for kids

Examples of tray in a Sentence

She carried the tray of food to our table.
a car with several storage trays

Recent Examples of tray from the Web

Hot and cold water and an outdoor shower are accessed from the garage as well, and a custom hitch holds expedition boxes and a tray for firewood.

— megan barber, Curbed, "This custom camper van can sleep a family of 6," 11 July 2018
An egg and cheese frittata, cooked in an egg tray, took around six minutes.

— lauren goode, WIRED, "Brava Hopes to Heat Up the 'Smart Kitchen' With a $995 Oven," 10 July 2018
Last a dessert tray was wheeled by with delicious cakes and confections before coffee and tea was served.

— marilyn jones, Philly.com, "'Flying chefs' in business class," 6 July 2018
Co-host Chrissy Tiegen even wore a hairnet and held a lunch tray for the performance.

— jamie spain, PEOPLE.com, "Oops, She Did It Again! RHONY's Ramona Singer Channels Britney Spears on Lip Sync Battle," 29 June 2018
At restaurants, injera is typically brought to the table sprawling to the edges of a gebeta, a round metal tray.

— ligaya mishan, New York Times, "At Makina Cafe, Ethiopian Takeaway With Buoyant Injera," 28 June 2018
Jansen mentioned a photograph in which Puig was naked save for a cap on his head and a vendor’s tray packed with peanuts covering his nether regions.

— dylan hernandez, latimes.com, "The naked truth of the matter is, a maturing Puig has grown on Dodgers," 26 June 2018
Two 12-volt power outlets are located in the front with a convenient tray under the center stack for mobile devices, one in the rear.

— emma jayne williams, star-telegram, "Toyota introduces new Adventure modelto the lineup of its 2018 RAV4 crossover," 23 June 2018
Later our group had to use a mirror and a silver serving tray to reflect a beam of sunlight down a dark hallway, ensuring safe passage from the undead.

— juliet bennett rylah, Los Angeles Magazine, "After a Year Hiatus, One of L.A.’s Scariest Theater Experiences Is Returning," 22 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tray.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of tray

Middle English, from Old English trīg, trēg; akin to Old Swedish trø wooden grain measure and probably to Old English trēow tree — more at ¹tree

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

TRAY Defined for English Language Learners

tray

noun

Definition of tray for English Language Learners

: a thin, flat, and often rectangular piece of plastic, metal, wood, etc., that has a low rim and that is used for carrying things
: a container that has low sides and usually no top and that is used to hold something

TRAY Defined for Kids

tray

noun \ ˈtrā \

Definition of tray for Students

: an open container with a flat bottom and low rim for holding, carrying, or showing articles

a waiter's tray

a tray of ice cubes

Medical Dictionary

tray

noun \ ˈtrā \

medical Definition of tray

: an appliance consisting of a flanged body and a handle for use in holding plastic material against the gums or teeth in making negative impressions for dentures