tray

noun

ˈtrā How to pronounce tray (audio)
Synonyms of traynext
: an open receptacle with a flat bottom and a low rim for holding, carrying, or exhibiting articles
trayful
ˈtrā-ˌfu̇l How to pronounce tray (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
During lunch, a familiar song came on and every server stopped, put down their trays, climbed onto the tables, and started dancing. — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Aug. 2026 Lucia said their grandmother used to keep a shitlist under her ice cube tray. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026 From large platters just begging to be filled with hors d’oeuvres to trays made for serving batch cocktails, our picks for the best platters are well-crafted and meant for regular (if not daily) use. — Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 27 Aug. 2026 Freeze the whites individually in ice cube trays and store in a resealable bag once frozen. — Taylor Tobin, Southern Living, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tray

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of tray was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing tray

Rhymes for tray

See All Rhymes for tray

Browse Nearby Words

trawlnet
tray
tray agriculture
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tray.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tray. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

tray

noun
ˈtrā How to pronounce tray (audio)
: an open container with flat bottom and low rim for holding, carrying, or exhibiting articles
trayful
-ˌfu̇l How to pronounce tray (audio)
noun

Medical Definition

tray

noun
ˈtrā How to pronounce tray (audio)
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on tray

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for tray

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tray

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All