tray means 'a flat container used to carry or hold things'.
tray :
flat container, holder
noun
▪ She carried the cups on a tray.
▪ She used a flat container to carry the cups.
▪ The food is served on a tray.
▪ The food is placed on a flat holder.
paraphrasing
▪ platter – large flat dish
▪ dish – shallow container
Pronunciation
tray [treɪ]
The word sounds like 'tray' with a long 'a'.
Common phrases and grammar about tray
tray - Common meaning
noun
flat container, holder
Part of Speech Changes for "tray"
▪ trays (plural noun) – more than one tray
▪ trayful (noun) – amount that fills a tray
Common Expressions with "tray"
▪ serving tray – a tray used to serve food or drinks
▪ baking tray – a tray used for baking in the oven
▪ tray table – a small table that holds a tray
▪ cafeteria tray – a tray used in cafeterias
Important examples of tray in TOEIC
Vocabulary examples from the TOEIC test
In TOEIC word questions, tray often refers to a flat container used for serving or holding items.
▪The waiter brought drinks on a tray.
▪The waiter carried drinks on a flat container.
Example of a confusing word: try (to attempt)
▪The waiter brought drinks on a try.
▪The waiter attempted to bring drinks.
"Tray" is a noun that means a flat container used for carrying or holding items, like drinks or food. In the sentence "The waiter brought drinks on a tray," it correctly describes the object used to carry the drinks. "Try," on the other hand, is a verb meaning "to attempt" or "make an effort." Using "try" in place of "tray" results in a grammatically incorrect sentence because "try" cannot function as a noun in this context. Therefore, "tray" is the correct choice.
Grammar examples from the TOEIC test
In TOEIC grammar questions, tray is usually used as a noun in sentences describing serving or carrying.
▪She placed the cookies on a tray.
▪She put the cookies on a flat holder.
tray
Idioms and fixed expressions in TOEIC
serving tray
'a tray for serving', used when referring to trays in restaurants or homes.
▪The serving tray was full of appetizers.
▪The tray for serving was full of snacks.
keep one's tray table up
means 'to have the tray table in the upright position', used in airplane instructions.
▪Please keep your tray table up during takeoff.
▪Please have your tray table in the upright position during takeoff.
Differences between similar words and tray
tray
,
platter
differences
Tray is a general flat container, while platter is specifically a large flat dish for serving food.
tray
▪The waiter used a tray to serve drinks.
▪The waiter used a flat container to serve drinks.
platter
▪The turkey was placed on a platter.
▪The turkey was put on a large flat dish.
tray
Words with the same origin as tray
The origin of tray
The word's etymology is not clear.
Word structure
The analysis of the word's composition is unclear.
Words with the same origin
The word's root is unclear or difficult to confirm.
