What does "tanker" mean?
A tankship, a vessel used to transport large quantities of fluid.
Tanker
/ˈtæŋkə(ɹ)/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A tankship, a vessel used to transport large quantities of fluid.
- Grammar: tanker is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: oil tanker, tank truck, argosy, ark.
- Useful contrasts: dry cargo ship, dry goods truck.
- Usage evidence: A huge tanker cast off just now.
How to use "tanker"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "tanker" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "tanker" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "tanker" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "tanker" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "tanker" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "oil tanker" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "tanker", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A tankship, a vessel used to transport large quantities of fluid.
"The channel at Chan-chiang is being dredged to a depth of 50 feet enabling tankers of 70,000 tons to call."
- 2 a cargo ship designed to carry crude oil in bulk wordnet
- 3 A motor truck with a tank to hold bulk liquid (with or without internal baffles). US
- 4 a motor vehicle designed to carry liquefied loads, dry bulk cargo or gases on roads. wordnet
- 5 A fuel tanker, petrol tanker, road tanker. UK
"Nor is the government facing a strike by tanker drivers, as was the case in early 1979 during the winter of discontent."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 a soldier who drives a tank wordnet
- 7 An aircraft carrying a large supply of jet fuel or avgas for aerial refueling of other aircraft, plus equipment allowing the in-air transfer of fuel. usually
"Without the KC-46 tankers orbiting in friendly airspace, our fighters would've run out of fuel long before reaching the combat zone."
- 8 An aircraft built or modified to carry water and/or fire retardant for dropping on wildfires.
"While our ground teams cut firebreaks in the brush, the tankers kept the fire in the mountains at bay with frequent drops of water and retardant."
- 9 A tank car.
- 10 Member of a tank crew, or of an armoured unit.
"On February 19, 1943, American tankers felt the full wrath of the German Army in North Africa when its tank-led spearhead punched a 2-mile-wide hole through American lines at Faid Pass in Tunisia, […]"
- 11 A longboard. slang
"I swung the tanker around just in time to take off with the lip."
Verb
- 1 To transport (oil, etc.) in a tanker. transitive
- 2 To carry more fuel than necessary for a flight, in order to avoid having to refuel at a destination where fuel is more expensive or in short supply.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
dry cargo shipdry goods truck
Example
"A huge tanker cast off just now."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "tanker"?
Common synonyms include: oil tanker, tank truck, argosy, ark, bathyscaphe, caravel.
How do you use "tanker" in a sentence?
A huge tanker cast off just now.
How do you pronounce "tanker"?
Pronounced /ˈtæŋkə(ɹ)/.
Etymology
From tank + -er.