tractor

noun

trac·​tor ˈtrak-tər How to pronounce tractor (audio)
1
a
: a 4-wheeled or tracklaying automotive vehicle used especially for drawing farm equipment
b
: a smaller 2-wheeled apparatus controlled through handlebars by a walking operator
2
: an airplane having the propeller forward of the main supporting surfaces

Illustration of tractor

Illustration of tractor
  • tractor 1a

Examples of tractor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
After the crash, the SUV was reportedly struck by a tractor-trailer that was traveling in the right lane behind the vehicle. Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025 Atlantic Container Line vessel, which carries both containers (80% capacity) as well as various kinds of large freight cargo, from tractors to aircraft wings and power plant equipment. Lori Ann Larocco, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2025 Tickets to the activity area include access to wagon rides, corn maze, farm arcade, tractor playground, animals, Putt-Putt and more. Katie Nixon, Nashville Tennessean, 22 Oct. 2025 Cards Against Humanity filed the lawsuit a year ago after finding tractors, piles of building materials, and construction work from SpaceX on the land, which had previously been vacant except for green grass. PC Magazine, 21 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tractor

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin trahere

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of tractor was in 1900

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tractor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tractor. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

tractor

noun
trac·​tor ˈtrak-tər How to pronounce tractor (audio)
1
: a vehicle that has large rear wheels or moves on tracks and is used especially for pulling farm implements
2
: a short truck with no body used in combination with a trailer for hauling freight

Medical Definition

tractor

noun
trac·​tor ˈtrak-tər How to pronounce tractor (audio)
: an instrument used to exert traction on a body part or tissue (as in surgical procedures)
a urethral tractor

More from Merriam-Webster on tractor

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