tray

¹

[trey]

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.

tray

²

[trey]

noun

Australian Slang.

1. a coin worth threepence.

tray

/ 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

Word History and Origins

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 ); trey

Word History and Origins

Origin of tray¹

Old English trieg ; related to Old Swedish trö corn measure, Old Norse treyja carrier, Greek driti tub, German Trog _trough

Example Sentences

“That’s my baby going across the bar on the tray. When someone takes a picture, it’s like a birth certificate,” she says.

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“Because it sits flat on the tray, the bird cooks evenly, and the skin easily crisps to a golden brown,” TJ’s explains.

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The good grocery store can handle your pre-dinner snack spread far more gracefully than a last-minute veggie tray.

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But then I was there, about to perform on TV, and there were all these things going on, like you’re tired, or you’re being sued or your bandmate doesn’t like the deli tray.

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A small, clear infusion bag is removed and slowly brought to body temperature in a tray of liquid.

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Related Words

• plate