trailer
- 01 A2 Elementary
n.a vehicle without an engine that is pulled by a car or truck to carry things.
n.an unpowered vehicle designed to be towed by another, typically used for transporting goods, equipment, or livestock.
Simple“We loaded the camping gear into the trailer and hooked it to the back of the car.”
In context“The contractor attached a flatbed trailer to his truck to transport the heavy timber to the construction site before the rain started.”
- 02 A2 Elementary
n.a short video that shows parts of a new movie or game to make people want to see it.
n.a series of excerpts from a film or television programme used for promotional purposes.
Simple“The trailer for the new superhero movie looks much better than the actual film.”
In context“The studio released a cryptic teaser trailer six months before the premiere to generate online discussion among the fan base.”
- 03 B1 Intermediate
n.a small house on wheels that can be moved or parked in one place to live in.
n.a prefabricated dwelling structure that can be moved by towing, often situated in a dedicated park.
Simple“They lived in a small trailer near the beach during the summer months.”
In context“The family decided to downsize and move into a modern trailer park, citing lower maintenance costs and a closer community feel.”
Synonymsmobile homecaravan - 04 C1 Advanced
n.the last part of a piece of digital information that shows where it ends.
n.the concluding part of a data packet or file, often containing error-checking sequences or end-of-record markers.
Simple“The computer checks the trailer of the data packet to make sure no information was lost.”
In context“If the checksum in the trailer does not match the calculated value, the system requests a retransmission of the entire data frame.”
UsageOften contrasted with the 'header' which appears at the start of the data.
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to move something using a trailer.
v.to transport a vehicle or heavy equipment by loading it onto a trailer.
Simple“They had to trailer the broken boat back to the repair shop.”
In context“Because the race car was not street-legal, the team had to trailer it to every circuit on the national tour.”
“Stewart’s last quarter century was spent hiding from the world with Mary Lou in a Florida trailer home with blacked-out windows, taking drugs.”
“All her years on The West Wing really prepped her.” Watch the trailer for Miss You, Love You.”
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, that is trailing after the main feature.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.