lorry
LO-ree
Lorry (noun) means a large motor vehicle used to transport heavy goods by road (the British word for a truck). Example: “A lorry blocked the narrow lane while making a delivery.”
noun
1
A large motor vehicle used to transport heavy goods by road (the British word for a truck).
"There was also the influx of a third of a million road lorries, sold at giveaway prices after their war roles ceased and used by competing one-man businesses to skim off sundry agricultural freight."
— Howard Johnston, Was Marples the real railway wrecker? (2023)
"A lorry blocked the narrow lane while making a delivery."
"The removal company sent two lorries to move all our furniture."
"I know I swing me Volvo all around you market square. I know you think that lorry drivers, we just don't care. But the streets are so narrow, built so many years ago. They were built for horses' carts, not juggernauts you know."
— “I love my juggernaut”, I love my juggernaut (2019)
"Until the main road from Hatfield to Hertford was diverted a few years ago, heavy lorries trundling through the village sometimes knocked chunks off corner buildings, but now the village has regained much of its former tranquillity."
— AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd (1980)
How to use lorry
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe British English word for a large goods-carrying truck.
UK vs US
British English says "lorry"; American English says "truck."
Easily confused with
Common pairings
lorry driver
delivery lorry
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Word forms
- Plural
- lorries
- Third person singular
- lorries
- Past tense
- lorried
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
A _____ blocked the narrow lane while making a delivery.
Etymology
Origin uncertain — possibly from a dialectal English word meaning "to drag or lug," or from the personal name Laurie. First recorded in the 19th century.
Class of 1800
lorry joined the language around 1800.
See the full Class of 1800 →
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for lorry
See all rhymes for lorry →Frequently asked questions
What does “lorry” mean?
The word “lorry” means a large motor vehicle used to transport heavy goods by road (the British word for a truck). In plain terms, the British English word for a large goods-carrying truck.
How do you pronounce “lorry”?
“Lorry” is pronounced LO-ree (/ˈlɔɹi/ in IPA).
How do you use “lorry” in a sentence?
Here is “lorry” used in a sentence: “A lorry blocked the narrow lane while making a delivery.”
What part of speech is “lorry”?
“Lorry” is a noun.
Where does the word “lorry” come from?
The word “lorry” dates back to around 1800. Origin uncertain — possibly from a dialectal English word meaning "to drag or lug," or from the personal name Laurie. First recorded in the 19th century.
Is “lorry” a common word?
“Lorry” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
