tractor

noun, verb — 11 senses

tractor

noun

UK /ˈtɹæktə/ · US /ˈtɹæktɚ/

Etymology Formed from Latin tractus, perfect passive participle of trahere (“to pull”), + agent noun suffix -or.

7 senses
  1. 1A vehicle used in farms e.g. for pulling farm equipment…
  2. 2A movable coop without a floor to allow for free ranging.
  3. 3A truck (or lorry) for pulling a semi-trailer or trailer.
  4. 4Any piece of machinery that pulls something.
  5. 5An aeroplane where the propeller is located in front of…
  6. 6A British Rail Class 37 locomotive.
  7. 7A metal rod used in tractoration, or Perkinism.
1

Agriculture, Business, Lifestyle A vehicle used in farms e.g. for pulling farm equipment and preparing the fields.

2

Agriculture, Business, Lifestyle A movable coop without a floor to allow for free ranging.

3

US A truck (or lorry) for pulling a semi-trailer or trailer.

4

Any piece of machinery that pulls something.

5

Aeronautics, Aerospace, Aviation, Business, Engineering, Natural sciences, Physical sciences An aeroplane where the propeller is located in front of the fuselage.

6

Rail transport, Railways, Transport UK A British Rail Class 37 locomotive.

  • On the other hand the EE type 3's have offered in a 1750 hp package, probably the most successful loco BR bought. As any crew will tell you a tractor will pull anything anywhere, and yet at the same time they were nippy enough for use on the Anglian mainlines for 20 years.1995 May 23, Andrew Cooke, “Re: British Rail: At Last The 1948 Show”, in misc.transport.rail.europe (Usenet):
  • With a recent email from Mike Tetlow, I found out that there were two other 37s [37252 and 37031] present that day, also shuttling between Cambridge and Kings Lynn. As you correctly observe, the pic of little me shows that I am in a Dutch liveried tractor.2000 April 25, Grandpops, “Calling Norfolk tractor bashers with a good brain for numbers! Possible conclusion?”, in uk.railway (Usenet):
1 more example
  • EWS are also denying any rumours of tractors going to Spain, then again they denyed the rumours of tractors going to France until the contract was signed!2000 May 17, Matt, “Re: "Unfixing" Class 37s and Doncaster control (rant!!)”, in uk.railway (Usenet):
7

Archaic A metal rod used in tractoration, or Perkinism.

Derived terms
27 termsamtrac, Chelsea tractor, chicken tractor, minitractor, monowheel tractor, semi-tractor, single-axle tractor, steam tractor, traction, tractorable, tractor beam, tractor driver, tractorise, tractorism, tractorist, tractorize, tractorless, tractorlike, tractor out, tractor pull, tractor-trailer, tractor trailer, tractor unit, tractor vaporising oil, truck-tractor, two-wheel tractor, walking tractor
Related terms
pusher, traction engine

tractor

verb

Etymology Formed from Latin tractus, perfect passive participle of trahere (“to pull”), + agent noun suffix -or.

1

Agriculture, Business, Lifestyle To prepare (land) with a tractor.

2

To drive a tractor.

3

Literature, Media, Publishing, Science fiction To move with a tractor beam.

4

Medicine, Sciences Archaic To treat by means of tractoration, or Perkinism.

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.