tray

noun \ ˈtrā \

Definition of tray

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

—

trayful

play \-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

To make citrus ice cubes: Take 1 orange and use a peeler to create small orange zest peels to curl up and put in each tray.

— helin jung, Cosmopolitan, "22 Spooky Halloween Cocktail Concoctions," 15 Aug. 2017
The site manager unlocks the front panel and swings the door open to reveal lithium-ion battery cells stacked like cafeteria trays.

— Longreads, "Hard Lessons in Living Off the Grid," 8 Aug. 2017
There is a center console that holds two cupholders, with a tray in front of the cupholders and gearshift that can accommodate two or more smartphones.

— g. chambers williams iii, star-telegram, "New 2018 VW Atlas crossover has room for the whole family, loads of technology," 28 July 2017
Combine all ingredients except the mayonnaise on a sheet tray.

— nancy miller, The Courier-Journal, "Crispy catfish tacos with tomatillo aioli recipe | Migo," 25 July 2017
There are sleek, white sectional sofas, circular Oriental carpets and silver trays laden with French macarons.

— jenny b. davis, star-telegram, "From shimmering sand dunes to glimmering skyscrapers, everything blings in Dubai," 17 July 2017
My tray was quickly covered with a cloth napkin - the white tablecloth of the skies.

— alexa mcmahon, idahostatesman, "Champagne, duvets and a 180-degree seat: A frugal traveler’s introduction to first class," 14 July 2017
Fifteen minutes later, after the birds had chosen an item from the tray, Kabadayi brought back the puzzle box.

— ed yong, The Atlantic, "Ravens Can Plan for the Future," 13 July 2017
Immediately after Todd Snyder’s runway show on Monday night, which opened the latest iteration of New York Fashion Week: Men’s, the benches were whisked away and replaced by waiters carrying trays of appetizers.

— max berlinger, New York Times, "Raf Simons and Todd Snyder Host Parties for Men’s Fashion Week," 12 July 2017

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

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