# trailer

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈtɹeɪlə(ɹ)/ · frequency rank #4,196

## Definitions
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.
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. A furnished vehicle towed behind another, and used as a dwelling when stationary.
5. A prefabricated home that could be towed to a new destination but is typically permanently left in an area designated for such homes.
6. A preview of a film, video game or TV show.
7. A short blank segment of film at the end of a reel, for convenient insertion of the film in a projector.
8. 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.
9. The last part of a packet, often containing a check sequence.

## 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, that is trailing after the main feature.

## Easily confused with
- **trier** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trailer-vs-trier)
- **trails** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trailer-vs-trails)
- **trained** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trailer-vs-trained)
- **trainer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trailer-vs-trainer)
- **traitor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trailer-vs-traitor)
- **trainee** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trailer-vs-trainee)
- **trapper** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trailer-vs-trapper)
- **trawler** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trailer-vs-trawler)
- **trainor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trailer-vs-trainor)
- **trainers** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trailer-vs-trainers)
- **traveler** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trailer-vs-traveler)
- **trail** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trail-vs-trailer)
- **trader** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trader-vs-trailer)
- **taller** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/taller-vs-trailer)
- **tailor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tailor-vs-trailer)
- **tailed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tailed-vs-trailer)
- **tracer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tracer-vs-trailer)
- **tracker** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tracker-vs-trailer)

## Common misspellings (10)
`rtailer`, `tariler`, `traielr`, `trailerr`, `trailler`, `trailre`, `tralier`, `trialer`, `trrailer`, `ttrailer`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/trailer