dray

[ drey ]

/ dreɪ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR dray ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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

a sledge or sled.

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

verb (used with object)

to convey on a dray.

verb (used without object)

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

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

RELATED WORDS

wagon, sled, cart

Nearby words

drawplate, drawshave, drawsheet, drawstring, drawtube, dray, dray horse, drayage, drayhorse, draying, drayman

Origin of dray

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for dray

Dray says that the doctors she had seen in the practice prior to her delivery were, in fact, supportive of her VBAC plan.
The Mom Forced to Have a C-Section|Emily Shire|June 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Or, they may be less benevolent, as Dray believes Gorelik was.
The Mom Forced to Have a C-Section|Emily Shire|June 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Dray glances at me and then looks away when I ask her if she is going to have any more children.
The Mom Forced to Have a C-Section|Emily Shire|June 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
While impressive, these figures are largely irrelevant for Dray.
The Mom Forced to Have a C-Section|Emily Shire|June 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Therefore, Dray actively sought a hospital that would be supportive of her decision to avoid another C-section.
The Mom Forced to Have a C-Section|Emily Shire|June 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He was as big as a carthorse, as graceful as a dray and as meek as a missionary.
At Good Old Siwash|George Fitch
Benyon rejoined, standing there still, though the dray had passed.
Georgina's Reasons|Henry James
If you will give me the numbers of the bales, Captain Brent, I'll send a dray down to your boat and get them.
The Crisis, Complete|Winston Churchill
Loddie and Kezia can have tea with by chudren in the dursery, and Ill see theb on the dray afterwards.
Bliss, and Other Stories|Katherine Mansfield
A dray went past the end of his street rumbling hollowly, and the rumble died drearily away.
The House with the Green Shutters|George Douglas Brown

British Dictionary definitions for dray (1 of 2)

dray

/ (dreɪ) /

noun

a low cart without fixed sides, used for carrying heavy loads
(in combination)a drayman

any other vehicle or sledge used to carry a heavy load

Word Origin for dray

Old English dræge dragnet; related to Old Norse draga load of timber carried on horseback and trailing on the ground; see draw

British Dictionary definitions for dray (2 of 2)

dray

/ (dreɪ) /

noun

a variant spelling of drey

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for dray

dray

mid-14c., Middle English noun derivative of Old English dragan "to draw," originally meaning a cart without wheels that has to be "dragged" (cf. Old Norse draga "timber dragged behind a horse"); see drag (v.).