truck

/trək/

/trək/

Other forms: trucks; trucking; trucked

Vroom, vroom! A truck is a motorized vehicle on wheels—it's like a car, but bigger. Trucks are often used for hauling or transporting things.

What we call a truck in the U.S. is generally called a lorry in the U.K. Trucks vary in size from small pickups that aren't much larger than cars to 18-wheel semi-trailer trucks. These big trucks are built to transport heavy goods and are mostly powered by diesel fuel. Truck is also a verb, meaning "convey by truck" or "proceed leisurely." The Middle English root word means "wooden wheel."

Definitions of truck

1. noun

   an automotive vehicle suitable for hauling
   synonyms: motortruck

   types:

   dump truck, dumper, tip truck, tipper, tipper lorry, tipper truck

   truck whose contents can be emptied without handling; the front end of the platform can be pneumatically raised so that the load is discharged by gravity

   fire engine, fire truck

   any of various large trucks that carry firemen and equipment to the site of a fire

   dustcart, garbage truck

   a truck for collecting domestic refuse

   camion, lorry

   a large truck designed to carry heavy loads; usually without sides

   pickup, pickup truck

   a light truck with an open body and low sides and a tailboard

   sound truck

   a truck equipped with a loudspeaker and used for advertising

   tow car, tow truck, wrecker

   a truck equipped to hoist and pull wrecked cars (or to remove cars from no-parking zones)

   tractor

   a truck that has a cab but no body; used for pulling large trailers or vans

   articulated lorry, rig, semi, tractor trailer, trailer truck, trucking rig

   a truck consisting of a tractor and trailer together

   car transporter, transporter

   a long truck for carrying motor vehicles

   van

   a truck with an enclosed cargo space

   bookmobile

   a van with shelves of books; serves as a mobile library or bookstore

   delivery truck, delivery van, panel truck

   a van suitable for delivering goods or services to customers

   aerial ladder truck, ladder truck

   a fire engine carrying ladders

   laundry truck

   van that picks up and delivers laundry

   milk float

   a van (typically powered by electricity) with an open side that is used to deliver milk to houses

   moving van

   a van used for moving home or office furniture

   passenger van

   a van that carries passengers

   black Maria, paddy wagon, patrol wagon, police van, police wagon, wagon

   van used by police to transport prisoners

   tandem trailer

   trucking rig with two trailers in tandem

   technical

   a pickup truck with a gun mounted on it

   type of:

   automotive vehicle, motor vehicle

   a self-propelled wheeled vehicle that does not run on rails
2. noun

   a handcart that has a frame with two low wheels and a ledge at the bottom and handles at the top; used to move crates or other heavy objects
   synonyms: hand truck

   type of:

   cart, go-cart, handcart, pushcart

   wheeled vehicle that can be pushed by a person; may have one or two or four wheels
3. verb

   convey (goods etc.) by truck
   “truck fresh vegetables across the mountains”

   type of:

   transport

   move something or somebody around; usually over long distances