Trailer Definition

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈtreɪlə/, SAMPA: /"treIl@/
• (US) enPR: trāʹlər, IPA: /ˈtreɪlɚ/, SAMPA: /"treIl@`/
• Rhymes: -eɪlə(r)

Etymology

to trail + -er

Noun

trailer (plural trailers)

1. (Australian, New Zealand, US) A small vehicle, usually open-topped, towed behind another, and used for carrying equipment, etc, that cannot be carried in the leading vehicle.

   At the end of the day, we put the snowmobiles back on the trailer.

2. (UK) Any vehicle designed to be towed, with the exception of a caravan.
3. (US) A furnished vehicle towed behind another, and used as a dwelling when stationary.

   We drove our trailer to Yellowstone Park.

4. (US) A prefabricated home that could be towed to a new destination, but typically is permanently left in an area designated for such homes.

   The young couple's first home was in a trailer.

5. (mainly US, media) A preview of a film or TV show.

   The trailer for that movie makes it seem like it would be fun.

6. (computing) A usually invalid value used to signal the end of a list of data, often sorting last alphabetically ("ZZZZZ") or numerically ("99999") among all possible valid values; especially common in punched cards, where the final card is called a trailer card.

   The linked list terminates with a trailer record.

7. someone or something that trails
8. (networking) the last part of a packet, often containing a check sequence

   The encapsulation layer adds an eight-byte header and a two-byte trailer to each packet.

Usage notes

• In Australia and the UK, trailer in the sense of "preview of a film" is gaining currency over preview due to US influence.

Synonyms

• (vehicle towed behind another, used for carrying equipment):
• (vehicle towed behind another, other than a caravan):
• (furnished vehicle towed behind another, used as a dwelling when stationary): camper (US), camper van, caravan (UK), mobile home
• (prefabricated home that could be towed but typically is not): mobile home
• (preview of a film): preview, teaser
• (in computing: value used to signal the end of a list of data): sentinel

Antonyms

• (in networking): header

Derived terms

Verb

to trailer (third-person singular simple present trailers, present participle trailering, simple past and past participle trailered)

1. To load on a trailer or to transport by trailer.

   The engine wouldn't run any more so we had to trailer my old car to the wrecking yard.

Anagrams

• retiral, retrial

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