tray

noun

ˈtrā 

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

trayful

ˈtrā-ˌfu̇l 

noun

Examples of tray in a Sentence

She carried the tray of food to our table.

a car with several storage trays

Recent Examples on the Web

The squeals that accompany lights, bells, and coins falling in a noisy metal tray make casinos animated with excitement. — Chip Bell, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026

There is also a smaller slide-out drip tray underneath the main surface. — Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 14 Aug. 2026

The chair itself features a detachable cup holder and tray table, and the chair’s rear has space to carry heavier medical equipment, per the outlet. — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 13 Aug. 2026

As potential intermingling threatened this segregation, a white sergeant started berating the Black troops who already had their trays, shouting at them to dump their food and clear the room. — Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing tray

• baking tray
• in tray
• litter tray
• out tray
• tea tray

Rhymes for tray

• ay
• bay
• bey
• brae
• cay
• chez
• dey
• dray
• fay
• fey
• flay
• fray

Kids Definition

tray

noun

ˈtrā 

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

trayful

-ˌfu̇l 

noun

Medical Definition

tray

noun

ˈtrā 

: 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