tray
1 Americannoun
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a flat, shallow container or receptacle made of wood, metal, etc., usually with slightly raised edges, used for carrying, holding, or displaying articles of food, glass, china, etc.
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a removable receptacle of this shape in a cabinet, box, trunk, or the like, sometimes forming a drawer.
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a tray and its contents.
to order a breakfast tray from room service.
noun
noun
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a thin flat board or plate of metal, plastic, etc, usually with a raised edge, on which things can be carried
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a shallow receptacle for papers, etc, sometimes forming a drawer in a cabinet or box
Etymology
Origin of tray1
before 1050; Middle English; Old English trēg, trīg; cognate with Old Swedish trö corn measure; akin to tree
Origin of tray2
1895–1900; compare earlier argot trey, tray three, a set of three, probably ultimately < Italian tre (< Latin trēs three ); trey
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When I put my tray on the table, no one looked up.
From Literature
“That’s okay,” I called, trotting over to where the large silver trays of food sat under warming lights.
From Literature
There was a tray filled with icicles, a silver bowl, and a spoon.
From Literature
Ignoring my remark, Daisy set the tray on the small table in the room and started looking over her nursing supplies.
From Literature
I hadn’t noticed all the other noise, but servants were coming and going, bringing dishes and trays and buckets and rags.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
