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

Its versatile design can be placed in your living room, bedroom, or entryway to organize lamps, books, and catch-all trays. —Kelsey Fredricks, People.com, 1 Mar. 2025

By the pool, as trays of sushi hand rolls and mini charcuterie plates circulated, nominees gathered to greet the crowd. —Jamila Stewart, Vogue, 1 Mar. 2025

However, the designer notes that if there isn't a cabinet available, corralling essentials on a tray is your second best option. —Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2025

Scrape excess soil off the blocker, and position it in the tray to release the blocks. —Margaret Roach Stacey Cramp, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025

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

Rhymes for tray

• ay
• bay
• bey
• brae
• cay
• chez
• dey
• dray
• fay
• fey
• flay
• fray

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