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

Place sliced fruit on a single layer on a tray lined with parchment paper or tinfoil. — Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 20 Sep. 2026

Keep in mind that these are the measurements with the scanners' trays closed. — David English, PC Magazine, 19 Sep. 2026

Waiters milled about with trays of French fries, cheeseburgers, and miniature black-and-white cookies, enjoyed by attendees like Natalia Dyer, Ivy Getty, Lux Pascal, Becky G, and Sammy Ratelle. — Aaron Royce, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2026

Miniature Bellinis, freshly frothed from large pitchers, swirled about on silver trays, happily scooped up by passersby. — Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 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
• ice cube 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