noun
trailer
TRAY-luh
noun
1
An unpowered vehicle towed behind a car or truck to carry cargo or equipment.
"He hitched the trailer to his pickup truck."
2
A short preview of a film, show, or video game shown to build interest ahead of release.
"The trailer for the new sequel racked up millions of views overnight."
"Have you seen the trailer for that horror movie yet?"
3
A prefabricated home designed to be towed, typically installed permanently on a site.
"They lived in a trailer on the edge of town."
How to Use Trailer
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA towed vehicle for hauling things, a mobile home, or a short film preview.
Common pairings
movie trailer
trailer park
tow a trailer
release a trailer
Word Forms
trailered past tense, trailers plural, trailers singular
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Etymology
From trail + -er. The film-preview sense dates back to when previews were shown after ("trailing") the main feature, rather than before it as is standard today.