big rig

noun

plural big rigs
US
: a large truck with an attached trailer that is used for hauling freight : semitrailer sense 2
A father and grandfather, Brubaker worked behind the wheel of a big rig for over a decade before transferring to a supervisory role.Deirdre Reilly
He formerly drove a big rig for a freight company.Jim Kleinpeter

Examples of big rig 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.
In 2022, as much as $100 million in jewels was stolen from a Brinks big rig. Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2025 As the name states, the 125,000-square-foot building is packed full of trucks and tractors, but classic cars, vintage automotive signs, and big rigs are also on display. Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2025 California’s leading air quality regulator will soon vote on whether to ban the sale of new diesel big rigs by 2036 and switch all trucks in the state to zero-emission by 2042, unprecedented rules that would transform California’s trucking industry. Ari Plachta, Sacramento Bee, 28 Feb. 2025 In the first wreck, a big rig jackknifed and spilled approximately 160 gallons of fuel onto the three right lanes, the California Highway Patrol said. Rick Hurd, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for big rig

Word History

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of big rig was in 1946

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Cite this Entry

“Big rig.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/big%20rig. Accessed 11 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

big rig

noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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