tow truck

noun

1. wrecker.

tow truck

noun

1. Also called: breakdown van.  wrecker. a motor vehicle equipped for towing away wrecked or disabled cars

Word History and Origins

Origin of tow truck¹

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

She said a tow truck driver had also towed a government vehicle that was involved in Martinez’s arrest.

From Los Angeles Times

The dramatic video shows the tow truck screeching around a corner as a pickup truck hangs precariously from its bed.

From Los Angeles Times

They submitted what the department called “staged photographs” of the damaged Bentley on a tow truck.

From Los Angeles Times

“The officers and the tow truck operators failed to take any kind of inventory, or to see if there was a live person inside.”

From Los Angeles Times

Police are investigating why a tow truck tried to nab a moving vehicle in San Francisco with people inside.

From Los Angeles Times