trailer

American  

[trey-ler] / ˈtreɪ lər /

noun

1. a large van or wagon drawn by an automobile, truck, or tractor, used especially in hauling freight by road.

2. Also called travel trailer.  a vehicle attached to an automobile and used as a mobile home or place of business, usually equipped with furniture, kitchen facilities, bathroom, etc.

3. a person or thing that trails.

4. a trailing plant.

5. a short promotional film composed of clips showing highlights of a movie due for release in the near future.

6. blank film at the end of a reel or strip of film, for winding off the film in a motion-picture camera or projector.

7. Ceramics. a can with a spout, used in slip trailing.

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trailer British  

/ ˈtreɪlə /

noun

1. a road vehicle, usually two-wheeled, towed by a motor vehicle: used for transporting boats, etc

2. the part of an articulated lorry that is drawn by the cab

3. a series of short extracts from a film, used to advertise it in a cinema or on television

4. a person or thing that trails

5. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): caravan.  a large enclosed vehicle capable of being pulled by a car or lorry and equipped to be lived in

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Etymology

Origin of trailer

First recorded in 1580–90; trail + -er ¹

Explanation

A trailer is a wheeled vehicle that can't move on its own — it needs to be pulled by a car, truck, or other vehicle. Some bike-riding parents tow their small children behind them in bicycle trailers. The trailer you might put a boat on, hitching it to your truck, trails behind the vehicle that's pulling it. Another meaning of trailer is a film preview or advertisement that theaters show before a movie. It might seem strange to call it a trailer when it comes first, but the earliest trailers, at the start of the 20th century, came after the movie, trailing it.

Example Sentences

Choudhury’s excitement prompted him to create the fan account, “Is the ‘End of Oak Street’ Trailer Out Yet?,” where he could post news about the film and form a community of fellow dinosaur enthusiasts.

From Salon • Apr. 12, 2026

His new film, Trailer Park Boys Presents: Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties, is in cinemas from 10 January.

From BBC • Jan. 8, 2025

Her 2013 debut, “Same Trailer Different Park,” won a Grammy as best country album, as did “Golden Hour,” and she has won multiple Grammys for best country song.

From New York Times • Mar. 14, 2024

The original purpose of the facility was to supply fuel to two vessels operated by Totem Ocean Trailer Express.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 24, 2024

I was what the Friendly Corners Trailer Park manager, Mr. Alfred, called “an exception.”

From "Because of Winn-Dixie" by Kate DiCamillo

Related Words

• mobile home