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tanker

American  
[tang-ker] / ˈtæŋ kər /

noun

  1. a ship, airplane, or truck designed for bulk shipment of liquids or gases.

  2. a tank trailer or tank truck.

verb (used with object)

  1. to transport by tanker.

tanker British  
/ ˈtæŋkə /

noun

  1. a ship, lorry, or aeroplane designed to carry liquid in bulk, such as oil

"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

Etymology

Origin of tanker

First recorded in 1895–1900; tank + -er 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Scotland's First Minister John Swinney however expressed dismay that he had only heard about the tanker being in the Scottish inlet of Moray Firth via media reports.

From Barron's

The ships are often ageing tankers and use false flags to try and avoid detection.

From BBC

The blockade involved in the seizure of oil tankers is, according to experts, an unlawful use of military force.

From Los Angeles Times

According to Kpler, about 17 million barrels of oil are sitting in tankers now around Venezuela and a similar amount are sitting off of China and Malaysia.

From Barron's

An oil tanker seized by the US in the North Atlantic last week has been spotted in Scotland's Moray Firth.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.