semitrailer

noun

semi·​trail·​er ˈse-ˌmī-ˌtrā-lər How to pronounce semitrailer (audio)
ˈse-mē-, 
-mi-
plural semitrailers
1
: a freight trailer that when attached is supported at its forward end by the fifth wheel device of the truck tractor
2
: a trucking rig made up of a tractor and a semitrailer

called also big rig

Examples of semitrailer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The two are roughly the same size — about that of a semitrailer truck — and similarly barrel-shaped. — Denise Chow, NBC news, 15 June 2026 Earlier this month, a United flight landing at Newark airport struck a semitrailer truck and a light pole, though no one was injured. — ABC News, 31 May 2026 Three people, including two children, were killed and one was seriously injured after the driver of their vehicle crashed into a semitrailer parked on the side of the highway early Friday morning. — Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 17 May 2026 The video came from the dash camera of a semitrailer that almost collided with the two stopped cars on Wednesday, according to the Wheat Ridge Police Department. — Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 15 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for semitrailer

Word History

First Known Use

1912, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of semitrailer was in 1912

Rhymes for semitrailer

See All Rhymes for semitrailer

Browse Nearby Words

semitonic
semitrailer
semitrailing
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Semitrailer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/semitrailer. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

semitrailer

noun
semi·​trail·​er ˈsem-i-ˌtrā-lər How to pronounce semitrailer (audio)
ˈsem-ˌī-
1
: a freight trailer that when attached is supported at its forward end by the truck tractor
2
: a trucking rig made up of a tractor and a semitrailer

More from Merriam-Webster on semitrailer

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about semitrailer

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