tray
1 Americannoun
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a flat, shallow container or receptacle made of wood, metal, etc., usually with slightly raised edges, used for carrying, holding, or displaying articles of food, glass, china, etc.
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a removable receptacle of this shape in a cabinet, box, trunk, or the like, sometimes forming a drawer.
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a tray and its contents.
to order a breakfast tray from room service.
noun
noun
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a thin flat board or plate of metal, plastic, etc, usually with a raised edge, on which things can be carried
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a shallow receptacle for papers, etc, sometimes forming a drawer in a cabinet or box
Etymology
Origin of tray1
before 1050; Middle English; Old English trēg, trīg; cognate with Old Swedish trö corn measure; akin to tree
Origin of tray2
1895–1900; compare earlier argot trey, tray three, a set of three, probably ultimately < Italian tre (< Latin trēs three ); cf. trey
Explanation
A tray is a flat dish or container that's used to carry or serve food. Your little sister and her friends will get pretty excited if you bring them a tray of chocolate cupcakes. Trays are made of many different materials, including wood, silver, and plastic. Most trays hold food, but they can also be used for carrying, storing, or displaying all kinds of things. A surgeon might select an instrument from a sterile stainless steel tray, and a writer might keep a wooden tray on her desk to hold paper and pens. Waiters and butlers carry trays of food, and you might leave a coffee shop carrying four hot chocolates in a cardboard tray.
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.
While other children were reaching for fruit snacks, I was sneaking handfuls of Castelvetranos from the appetizer tray.
From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026
She first scatters AA-size batteries, pens and scissors on the table, and walks back to the nearby control rig to make the robot arms place each one inside the tray of a desk organizer.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 31, 2026
"We take samples from the same part of river each month and then separate out the different invertebrates into a tray and count them," she said.
From BBC ● May 26, 2026
Pour the mixture into a large silicone ice tray and freeze for an hour before enjoying.
From Salon ● May 10, 2026
She shifts the tray to one arm and out of the corner of my eye, I see movement.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
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.
