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

The stakes are high — arguably higher than the towering trays of hot dogs that each man has mastered the art of devouring. —Rachel Treisman, NPR, 13 June 2024

If this will be your one and only ice maker, weigh the cost of buying bagged ice — or the time and effort needed to fill ice cube trays — against the investment of an ice maker. —Rennie Dyball, Peoplemag, 11 June 2024

Each chair comes with a cotton-padded pillow for head or lumbar support, plus a convenient detachable tray with two cup holders, a phone holder, and a book/tablet holder to keep your essentials in place. —Alicia Geigel, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 June 2024

Wrapping up his conversation with TIME, Biden offers cookies from a tray in the outer Oval. —Massimo Calabresi / Washington, TIME, 4 June 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