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 essential oil tray provides a place to put your favorite essential oil on a cotton pad. —Terri Williams, Architectural Digest, 14 Oct. 2024

And that was okay until the day the tray included a blob of tuna fish. —Gwen Rockwood The Rockwood Files, arkansasonline.com, 10 Oct. 2024

Unfortunately, this rack didn’t have a proper drainage system so water collected frequently in the bottom tray. —Rachel Simon, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Oct. 2024

One person used it as both additional seating and a convenient side table for placing serving trays to hold cocktails and snacks. —Ali Faccenda, People.com, 6 Oct. 2024

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

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