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

Everyone needs as much tray table space as possible. —Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 23 Dec. 2024

Then her stepmother comes upstairs with a tray of special food. —Rachel Aviv, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024

Current cast member Bowen Yang appeared with a tray full of martinis. —Anne McCarthy, Variety, 22 Dec. 2024

The lawn was covered with posts that were each topped by a pair of noise-cancelling headphones, and as cellar master Vincent Chaperon told us to don a set, an army of waiters appeared bearing trays covered with glasses of DP 2015. —Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 22 Dec. 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