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 white powder is a natural pest-control product, and the trays are a simple but effective barrier. —Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025

Clean, dry, and chop fresh parsley and put it in ice cube trays. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2025

Combine these with a full load of basic features, such as multiple drive trays and filters on all intake-fan locations, and that should result in a premium chassis that costs north of $150. —PC Magazine, 14 Sep. 2025

Harold shows up with a friend and financial adviser in tow, the dashing, flirty Guy Samson (Alessandro Nivola), who wastes no time in mixing up a tray full of strong cocktails. —Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 12 Sep. 2025

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