freighter

noun

freight·​er ˈfrā-tər How to pronounce freighter (audio)
1
: one that loads or charters and loads a ship
2
3
: a ship or airplane used chiefly to carry freight

Examples of freighter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Running a day late, Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL cargo freighter pulled alongside the International Space Station on Thursday, delivering more than 5 tons of supplies and experiments to the lab's seven-person crew. Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 18 Sep. 2025 The Cygnus team overcame that problem, however, and got the freighter on track for a one-day-late rendezvous. Mike Wall, Space.com, 18 Sep. 2025 Permanently at rest here are such ships as the Alva Bradley, an 1870s schooner that met its demise in an 1894 gale, and the Three Brothers, an 1888 lumber freighter that can be explored in just 15 feet of water and is accessed via a shallow-water beach entry from South Manitou Island. Nicholas Derenzo, AFAR Media, 16 Sep. 2025 Daryl was able to get to France on a freighter. Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for freighter

Word History

First Known Use

1622, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of freighter was in 1622

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Cite this Entry

“Freighter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freighter. Accessed 24 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

freighter

noun
freight·​er ˈfrāt-ər How to pronounce freighter (audio)
1
: a person who carries or ships freight
2
: a ship or airplane used chiefly to carry freight

More from Merriam-Webster on freighter

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