lorry

English

A lorry (motor vehicle).

Alternative forms

• lorrie, larry

Etymology

Origin obscure. Perhaps from English dialectal lurry (“to lug or pull about, drag”). Perhaps of North Germanic origin, related to Norwegian lurja, lorja, lerja (“wet, shapeless lump”), Norwegian lura (“cow-dung”), see lurt.

Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /ˈlɒri/
• Rhymes: -ɒri

Noun

lorry (plural lorries)

1. (UK) A motor vehicle for transporting goods; a truck.
2. (obsolete) A large low horse-drawn wagon.
3. (dated) A small cart or wagon, as used on the tramways in mines to carry coal or rubbish.
4. (dated) A barrow or truck for shifting baggage, as at railway stations.

Synonyms

• (motor vehicle for goods transport): rig, tractor trailer, truck (US), hauler

Translations

motor vehicle — see truck

A horse-drawn wagon

• Swahili: lori (sw)

Verb

lorry (third-person singular simple present lorries, present participle lorrying, simple past and past participle lorried)

1. (transitive) To soil, dirty, bespatter with mud or the like.