tray Meaning & Definition
What Does Tray Mean?
As a noun, tray means A small, typically rectangular or round, flat, and rigid object upon which things are carried. It can also mean The items on a full tray. As a verb, it means to place (items) on a tray. As a verb, it means to grieve; to annoy.
Tray: Key Facts
| Part of speech | noun, verb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | //tɹeɪ// |
| Syllables | 1 |
| Synonyms | bed |
| Plural | trays |
| Verb forms | trays, traying, trayed |
Tray Definition (Noun)
- A small, typically rectangular or round, flat, and rigid object upon which things are carried.
I carefully arranged the dishes on the tray and brought it upstairs.
- The items on a full tray.
Before long they had consumed a whole tray of shrimp cocktails and sent for another.
- A component of a device into which an item is placed for use in the device's operations.
The CD tray will not open.
- A notification area used for icons and alerts.
- A type of retail or wholesale packaging for CPUs where the processors are sold in bulk and/or with minimal packaging.
- The platform of a truck that supports the load to be hauled.
Tray as a Verb
- to place (items) on a tray
Be sure to tray eggs with the large end up.
- to slide down a snow-covered hill on a tray from a cafeteria.
Traying has provided collegiate fun and the occasional fatality for decades.
Noun
- trouble; annoyance; anger
Verb
- to grieve; to annoy
Verb
- to betray
Noun
- Alternative form of trey (“third branch of deer's antler”).
Noun
- A gay trans person, particularly a man (a man who is both transgender and gay)
Noun
- A flat carrier for items being transported.
Make sure that tray of eggs is properly loaded.
- (pickup) truck bed
Noun
- A playing card or die with the rank of three.
- A score of three in cards, dice, or dominoes.
- A three-pointer.
- The third bearer of the same personal name in a family, often denoted by suffixed Roman numeral III.
- The third branch of a deer's antler.
Synonyms of Tray
Tray synonyms and antonyms →Antonyms of Tray
No antonyms or near antonyms are listed by the available sources for this entry.
Tray in a Sentence
I carefully arranged the dishes on the tray and brought it upstairs.
Make sure that tray of eggs is properly loaded.
Before long they had consumed a whole tray of shrimp cocktails and sent for another.
The CD tray will not open.
The loader is responsible for placing the work on the trays for the plating machines.
baking tray
Be sure to tray eggs with the large end up.
Traying has provided collegiate fun and the occasional fatality for decades.
Word Forms & Grammar
tray (plural trays)
tray (third-person singular simple present trays, present participle traying, simple past and past participle trayed)
Words That Rhyme With Tray
Origin of Tray
Origin 1: From Middle English trey, from Old English trēġ, trīġ (“wooden board, tray”), from Proto-West Germanic *trauwi, from Proto-Germanic *trawją (“wooden vessel”), from Proto-Indo-European *drewo-, *dóru (“tree; wood”). Cognate with Old Norse treyja (“carrier”), Old Swedish trø (“wooden grain measure”), Low German Treechel (“dough trough”), Ancient Greek δροίτη (droítē, “tub, vat”), Sanskrit द्रोण (droṇa, “trough”). Related to trough and tree.
Origin 2: From Middle English traye, treie, from Old English trega (“misfortune, misery, trouble, grief, pain”), from Proto-Germanic *tregô (“mourning”), from Proto-Indo-European *dreǵʰ- (“unwilling, sullen, slack”). Cognate with Icelandic tregi (“sorrow, grief”), Gothic 𐍄𐍂𐌹𐌲𐍉 (trigō, “grief”).
Origin 3: From Middle English trayen, treien, from Old English tregian (“to trouble, harass, vex”), from Proto-West Germanic *tregōn, from Proto-Germanic *tregōną (“to become tedious, become lazy, sadden”), from Proto-Indo-European *dreǵʰ- (“unwilling, sullen, slack”).
Origin 4: From Middle English trayen, from Old French trair (“to betray”), from Latin tradō (“hand over, betray”).
How Do You Say Tray?
The standard pronunciation of tray is //tɹeɪ//, spoken in 1 syllable.
Tray: Your Questions Answered
Is tray a noun or a verb?
Tray is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb.
What is another word for tray?
Words with a similar meaning to tray include bed. See the full list of tray synonyms and antonyms.
What is the plural of tray?
The plural of tray is trays.
What is the past tense of tray?
The past tense of tray is trayed. The present participle is traying.