dray

American  

[drey] / dreɪ /

noun

drays plural

1. a low, strong cart without fixed sides, for carrying heavy loads.

2. a sledge or sled.

3. any vehicle, as a truck, used to haul goods, especially one used to carry heavy loads.

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verb (used with object)

1. to convey on a dray.

verb (used without object)

1. to drive or operate a dray, especially as an occupation.

2. to convey goods by dray, especially locally or for short distances.

dray ¹ British  

/ dreɪ /

noun

1. 1. a low cart without fixed sides, used for carrying heavy loads

   2. ( in combination )

      a drayman

2. any other vehicle or sledge used to carry a heavy load

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dray ² British  

/ dreɪ /

noun

1. a variant spelling of drey

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• drays
  plural

Etymology

Origin of dray

1325–75; Middle English draye sledge; compare Old English draeg- (in drægnet dragnet), akin to dragan to draw

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dray drays

In good times, like last year, dray operators command whatever the market must pay to keep them rolling.

From New York Times ● Oct. 28, 2022

Part of that effort is the Port of Seattle’s ongoing installation of shore power, having charging infrastructure for dray trucks and working to accommodate sustainable aviation fuels at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 3, 2021

It’s as if, instead of the Kentucky Derby, viewers were urged to enjoy the spectacle of thoroughbreds harnessed as dray horses.

From The New Yorker ● Feb. 27, 2017

Construction is also more expensive than building on the mainland, since materials must be transported to the island by ferry and then to the building site by horse and dray.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2016

He ’elped me to lift the boxes and put them in the dray.

From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker

For many years Young's drays and horses were a familiar sight in Wandsworth, south-west London.

From The Guardian ● Aug. 9, 2011

He came to Wentworth Street, which ran north and south and clearly served as Englewood’s main commercial street, its pavement clotted with horses, drays, and phaetons.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Olmsted in particular felt the pressure but also felt hobbled by the persistent delays in installation of exhibits and the damage done by the repeated comings and goings of drays and freight cars.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

He swept up, ran errands, weighed bags, and lifted them onto the drays.

From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison

The gates were open, soldiers coming and going, drays rolling in empty and going out creaking and swaying under their loads.

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin