English · Word Candidate

tray

/tɹeɪ/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: trays · traying · trayed

Sense 1

Meaning · English

A small, typically rectangular or round, flat, and rigid object upon which things are carried.

Noun

I carefully arranged the dishes on the tray and brought it upstairs.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

The items on a full tray.

Noun

Before long they had consumed a whole tray of shrimp cocktails and sent for another.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

to place (items) on a tray

Verb

Be sure to tray eggs with the large end up.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

to slide down a snow-covered hill on a tray from a cafeteria.

Verb

Traying has provided collegiate fun and the occasional fatality for decades.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

What does “tray” mean?

A small, typically rectangular or round, flat, and rigid object upon which things are carried.

Is “tray” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.