tractor

[ trak-ter ]

/ ˈtræk tər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR tractor ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a powerful motor-driven vehicle with large, heavy treads, used for pulling farm machinery, other vehicles, etc.

Also called truck tractor. a short truck with a driver's cab but no body, designed for hauling a trailer or semitrailer.

something used for drawing or pulling.

Aeronautics.

a propeller mounted at the front of an airplane, thus exerting a pull.
Also called tractor airplane. an airplane with a propeller so mounted.

Nearby words

traction epiphysis, traction load, tractive, tractive effort, tractive force, tractor, tractor feed, tractor pull, tractor-trailer, tractorfeed, tractotomy

Origin of tractor

1855–60; < Latin trac-, variant stem of trahere to draw, pull + -tor -tor

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

Examples from the Web for tractor

Going hands-free is just one of the perks of a place where the only form of transportation is by carriage, bike, or tractor.
The Crazy Medieval Island of Sark|Liza Foreman|October 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Highways were blocked off, leaving passengers waiting to be rescued by a tractor.
Hercules, Schmercules. Here Are America’s 5 Worst Blizzards|Nina Strochlic|January 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Wearing a red hoodie over his baseball cap, Omar, 17, quickly jumped off a tractor to greet us.
Palestinian Children: The Invisible Workers of Israeli Settlements|Dina Elmuti|August 28, 2013|DAILY BEAST
For those not in the know, tractor beams were used to pull foreign objects towards the Starship Enterprise.
Creating the Starship Enterprise|Ilana Glazer|January 28, 2013|DAILY BEAST

"When I'm spending 16 hours on a tractor, it gives me some opportunity to sort through issues in solitude," he tells me.
Senator Jon Tester: The Democrats' Last Best Hope|Andrew Romano|May 8, 2011|DAILY BEAST
His tractor and equipment cost two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
All Day September|Roger Kuykendall
The low purr of a motor behind him announced the arrival of a tractor to tow the ship off the runway.
Pushbutton War|Joseph P. Martino
But they screamed once again as Greg sent out a tractor beam that seized and held, dragged the Interplanetarian to a standstill.
Empire|Clifford Donald Simak
She said, "I noticed you used the tractor for the straw bales."
Maggie's Wish|Marilyn D. Anderson
"That's no good for farm work," the farmer said, reaching under his tractor seat.
Restricted Tool|Malcolm B. Morehart

British Dictionary definitions for tractor

tractor

/ (ˈtræktə) /

noun

a motor vehicle used to pull heavy loads, esp farm machinery such as a plough or harvester. It usually has two large rear wheels with deeply treaded tyres

a short motor vehicle with a powerful engine and a driver's cab, used to pull a trailer, as in an articulated lorry

an aircraft with its propeller or propellers mounted in front of the engine

Word Origin for tractor

C18: from Late Latin: one who pulls, from trahere to drag

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