trailer

English Online Dictionary. What means trailer‎? What does trailer mean?

English

Etymology

From trail +‎ -er. The film sense derives from the fact that previews were formerly shown after the main feature, rather than before as is usual today.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈtɹeɪlə(ɹ)/
• (US) enPR: trāʹlər, IPA^(key): /ˈtɹeɪlɚ/
• Rhymes: -eɪlə(ɹ)

Noun

trailer (plural trailers)

1. Someone who or something that trails (follows behind); something that is trailing.
2. Part of an object which extends some distance beyond the main body of the object.

   Synonyms: appendage, attachment, appendix, extension, extrusion

   the trailer of a plant

3. An unpowered wheeled vehicle (not a caravan or camper) that is towed behind another, and used to carry equipment, etc, that cannot be carried in the leading vehicle.
4. (US) A furnished vehicle towed behind another, and used as a dwelling when stationary; a caravan; a camper.

   Synonyms: (US) camper, camper van, (UK) caravan, motor home

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

   Synonym: mobile home

6. (chiefly US, media) A preview of a film, video game or TV show.

   Synonyms: preview, teaser

7. A short blank segment of film at the end of a reel, for convenient insertion of the film in a projector.
8. (computing) The final record of a list of data items, often identified by a key field with an otherwise invalid value that sorts last alphabetically (e.g., “ZZZZZ”) or numerically (“99999”); especially common in the context of punched cards, where the final card is called a trailer card.

   Synonym: sentinel

9. (networking) The last part of a packet, often containing a check sequence.

   Antonym: header

Usage notes

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

Derived terms

Descendants

Translations

Verb

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.

Anagrams

• retiral, retrial, trialer

Czech

Etymology

Borrowed from English trailer.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈtrajlɛr], [ˈtrɛjlɛr]

Noun

trailer m inan

1. trailer (preview of a film, TV show, or video game)

   Synonym: upoutávka

Declension

Further reading

• “trailer”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech)

Danish

Noun

trailer c (singular definite traileren, plural indefinite trailere)

1. (automotive) trailer (vehicle towed behind another vehicle)
2. (media) trailer (preview of a film, TV show, or video game)

Declension

Indonesian

Etymology

From Dutch trailer, from English trailer.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈt̪rai̯.lər]
• Hyphenation: trai‧lêr

Noun

trailer or trailêr

1. semi-trailer

   Synonym: anhang

2. (film) trailer, a preview of a film, video game or TV show.

   Synonyms: pracuplik, pratayang

Alternative forms

• tréler (Standard Malay)

Further reading

• “trailer” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

Polish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English trailer.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtrɛj.lɛr/
• Rhymes: -ɛjlɛr
• Syllabification: trai‧ler

Noun

trailer m inan

1. (film, marketing) trailer (preview of a film)

   Synonyms: pilot, teaser, zwiastun

2. trailer (unpowered wheeled vehicle that is towed behind another, and used to carry equipment, with the exception of a caravan)

   Synonym: przyczepa

Declension

Further reading

• trailer in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• trailer in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese

Alternative forms

• trêiler (rare)

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English trailer.

Pronunciation

Noun

trailer m (plural trailers)

1. (film, television) trailer (short preview of a film)
2. (Brazil) caravan (furnished vehicle used as a dwelling)

   Synonyms: (Portugal) caravana, (Portugal) rulote, (Portugal) roulotte

3. (Brazil) trailer (vehicle towed behind another, used for carrying equipment)

   Synonyms: reboque, (Portugal) atrelado

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from English trailer.

Noun

trailer n (plural trailere)

1. trailer

Declension

Spanish

Noun

trailer m (plural trailers or trailer)

1. Alternative form of tráiler

Swedish

Etymology

Borrowed from English trailer. First attested in 1948.

Noun

trailer c

1. (automotive) a (large) trailer (on or towed by a truck)
2. (media) a trailer (preview of a film, TV show, or video game)

Usage notes

A smaller trailer as typically towed by a car is a släpvagn (shortened to släp). Technically, a trailer is also a type of släpvagn.

Declension

See also

• dra (“pull; tow”)
• flak
• semitrailer

References

• trailer in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• trailer in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• trailer in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)