truck

¹ American  

[truhk] / trʌk /

noun

1. any of various forms of vehicle for carrying goods and materials, usually consisting of a single self-propelled unit but also often composed of a trailer vehicle hauled by a tractor unit.

2. any of various wheeled frames used for transporting heavy objects.

3. Also called hand truck.  a barrowlike frame with low wheels, a ledge at the bottom, and handles at the top, used to move heavy luggage, packages, cartons, etc.

4. a low, rectangular frame on which heavy boxes, crates, trunks, etc., are moved; a dolly.

5. a tiered framework on casters.

6. a group of two or more pairs of wheels in one frame, for supporting one end of a railroad car, locomotive, etc.

7. Movies. a dolly on which a camera is mounted.

8. British. a freight car having no top.

9. a small wooden wheel, cylinder, or roller, as on certain old-style gun carriages.

10. Nautical. a circular or square piece of wood fixed on the head of a mast or the top of a flagstaff, usually containing small holes for signal halyards.

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verb (used with object)

1. to transport by truck.

2. to put on a truck.

3. Movies. dolly.

verb (used without object)

1. to convey articles or goods on a truck.

2. to drive a truck.

3. Movies. dolly.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or for a truck or trucks.

   a truck drive; truck tires.

truck ² American  

[truhk] / trʌk /

noun

1. vegetables raised for the market.

2. miscellaneous articles of little worth; odds and ends.

3. Informal. trash or rubbish.

   That's a lot of truck.

4. Informal. dealings.

   I'll have no truck with him.

5. barter.

6. a bargain or deal.

7. the payment of wages in goods instead of money.

8. truck system.

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verb (used with object)

1. to exchange; barter; trade.

verb (used without object)

1. to exchange commodities; barter.

2. to traffic; have dealings.

truck ³ American  

[truhk] / trʌk /

noun

1. a shuffling jitterbug step.

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verb (used without object)

1. to dance with such steps.

2. Slang. to walk or stroll, especially in a jaunty manner.

   trucking down the avenue on a Sunday afternoon.

truck ¹ British  

/ trʌk /

noun

1. a vehicle for carrying freight on a railway; wagon

2. Also called (esp in Britain): lorry.  a large motor vehicle designed to carry heavy loads, esp one with a flat platform

3. a frame carrying two or more pairs of wheels and usually springs and brakes, attached under an end of a railway coach, etc

4. nautical

   1. a disc-shaped block fixed to the head of a mast having sheave holes for receiving signal halyards

   2. the head of a mast itself

5. any wheeled vehicle used to move goods

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verb

1. to convey (goods) in a truck

2. (intr) to drive a truck

truck ² British  

/ trʌk /

noun

1. commercial goods

2. dealings (esp in the phrase have no truck with )

3. commercial exchange

4. archaic payment of wages in kind

5. miscellaneous articles

6. informal rubbish

7. vegetables grown for market

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verb

1. archaic to exchange (goods); barter

2. (intr) to traffic or negotiate

truck Idioms  

1. see have no truck with.

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Other Word Forms

• truckable adjective

Etymology

Origin of truck¹

First recorded in 1605–15; back formation from truckle “wheel”; truckle

Origin of truck²

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English truken, trukien “to exchange,” from Old French troquer, trochier “to exchange” and Medieval Latin trocāre “to barter”; further origin unknown

Origin of truck³

First recorded in 1935–40; special use of truck ¹

Example Sentences

He was a waiter, a tow truck driver and an aide to students with special needs.

From Los Angeles Times

Anecdotal data suggest there is also an exodus of regular people who load their belongings into rental trucks and lug them to another state.

From Los Angeles Times

Immigration agents pull up to the vehicle parked in the street, get out of the truck and order the woman behind the wheel to get out of the SUV.

From BBC

In Altadena, if government officials had sent out timely evacuation alerts to west Altadena residents, if fire trucks had swarmed the area earlier, would 18 people have died?

From Los Angeles Times

It is the first step of dozens to replace the truck’s transmission, a job that is expected to take about 10 hours.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• car
• crate
• freighter
• jeep
• lorry
• pickup
• rig
• van
• wagon