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

You can make the hoagie yourself, or most delis offer catering-size hoagies and sandwich trays, if you’re not in the cooking mood.

From Salon

She stood at a table Wednesday displaying two 25-year-old preserved human brains she placed on cafeteria trays.

From Los Angeles Times

In 2019, cafeteria workers at a Minnesota high school confiscated the hot meals of about 40 students with lunch balances over $15, dumping the trays and handing out cold sandwiches instead.

From Salon

Choose your tray size, fill it with your perfect selection, and they’ll wrap it up for you.

From Salon

Packing lunch got a whole lot easier with TJ’s Mediterranean Hummus Snack Pack with Pita Chips, which includes TJ’s Mediterranean Hummus and its Pita Chips in one compact snack tray.

From Salon

Related Words

• plate