tractor

noun

trac·​tor ˈtrak-tər 

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

c

: truck entry 1 sense 1b

2

: an airplane having the propeller forward of the main supporting surfaces

Illustration of tractor

• tractor 1a

Examples of tractor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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

Other options, including gravity tractors, ion beams and nuclear devices, may provide better defenses and should be the subject of serious study. —Editorial, Boston Herald, 5 Mar. 2025

How is your tractor actually saving farmers money and time? —Alan Ohnsman, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025

The state’s farmers would be among those hit more severely, given the large volumes of gasoline needed to run tractors and other equipment, according to Jeffrey Michael, director of the University of Montana’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research. —Sally Ho, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin trahere

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing tractor

• tractor trailer

Rhymes for tractor

• acter
• actor
• factor
• attractor
• cofactor
• compactor
• contactor
• contractor
• distractor
• extractor
• impactor
• protractor

Kids Definition

tractor

noun

trac·​tor ˈtrak-tər 

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 

: an instrument used to exert traction on a body part or tissue (as in surgical procedures)

a urethral tractor