tray

¹ American  

[tray] / treɪ /

noun

1. 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.

2. a removable receptacle of this shape in a cabinet, box, trunk, or the like, sometimes forming a drawer.

3. a tray and its contents.

   to order a breakfast tray from room service.

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tray ² American  

[tray] / treɪ /

noun

Australian Slang.

1. a coin worth threepence.

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tray British  

/ treɪ /

noun

1. a thin flat board or plate of metal, plastic, etc, usually with a raised edge, on which things can be carried

2. a shallow receptacle for papers, etc, sometimes forming a drawer in a cabinet or box

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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

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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

See Examples For:

tray

Away from the dock, I sat down with a tray of oysters and a stabby, plastic-handled knife.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026

“Tanya came through from the kitchen with another tray of small things on sticks–olives, chunks of pineapple. Our eyes met. ‘I’m going through a ‘70s thing,’ she said.

From Slate ● Aug. 15, 2026

Then a smiling man walks in carrying another tray.

From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2026

“I was worried about getting a crazy neighbor, but you seem great,” she added, hugging me tightly and handing me a tray of sandwiches to share with my friends who were helping with the move.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

Soon enough, she is propped in bed with pillows and a breakfast tray with hot coffee, warm toast, and grapefruit.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

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Related Words

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