tractor

noun

trac·​tor ˈtrak-tər How to pronounce tractor (audio)
1
a
: a 4-wheeled or tracklaying automotive vehicle used especially for drawing farm equipment
b
: a smaller 2-wheeled apparatus controlled through handlebars by a walking operator
2
: an airplane having the propeller forward of the main supporting surfaces

Illustration of tractor

Illustration of tractor
  • tractor 1a

Examples of tractor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Other options, including gravity tractors, ion beams and nuclear devices, may provide better defenses and should be the subject of serious study. Editorial, Boston Herald, 5 Mar. 2025 How is your tractor actually saving farmers money and time? Alan Ohnsman, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025 The state’s farmers would be among those hit more severely, given the large volumes of gasoline needed to run tractors and other equipment, according to Jeffrey Michael, director of the University of Montana’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research. Sally Ho, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2025 Lyrically, the song brims with imagery of rural living — wide open plains, John Deere tractors and glowing red sunsets — while the song’s protagonist dreams of building a family and a future in those same, slow-rolling rural settings. Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 18 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tractor

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin trahere

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of tractor was in 1900

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tractor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tractor. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

tractor

noun
trac·​tor ˈtrak-tər How to pronounce tractor (audio)
1
: a vehicle that has large rear wheels or moves on tracks and is used especially for pulling farm implements
2
: a short truck with no body used in combination with a trailer for hauling freight

Medical Definition

tractor

noun
trac·​tor ˈtrak-tər How to pronounce tractor (audio)
: an instrument used to exert traction on a body part or tissue (as in surgical procedures)
a urethral tractor

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