tractor

noun

trac·​tor ˈtrak-tər 

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

c

: truck entry 1 sense 1b

2

: an airplane having the propeller forward of the main supporting surfaces

Illustration of tractor

• tractor 1a

Examples of tractor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Prices for diesel, the workhorse fuel that powers trucks, tractors, trains and construction vehicles, hit all-time highs last month but has since backed away a bit. — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026

The girls do their solos, and Ericka flattens Paulina like a tractor mowing down a patch of dandelions. — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2026

The tractor-trailer’s driver was unable to avoid the sedan and crashed into it, CHP said. — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 29 Sep. 2026

On the ground, others install drainage systems and use tractors equipped with machinery to sew panels of heavy synthetic liner across the bottoms of the ponds and seal away phosphate production waste. — Ryan Ballogg, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin trahere

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing tractor

• tractor trailer

Rhymes for tractor

• acter
• actor
• factor
• attractor
• cofactor
• compactor
• contactor
• contractor
• distractor
• extractor
• impactor
• protractor

Kids Definition

tractor

noun

trac·​tor ˈtrak-tər 

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 

: an instrument used to exert traction on a body part or tissue (as in surgical procedures)

a urethral tractor