Standard Lemma guide

tanker

noun · verb · 12 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Australian, Received-Pronunciation: /ˈtæŋkə/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈtæŋkɚ/ without æ-raising
  • /ˈteɪ̯ŋkɚ/ æ-raising
  • /ˈtɛ̃ŋkɚ/ æ-raising
  • rhymes with -æŋkə(ɹ)
  • CMU ARPABET: T AE1 NG K ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A tankship, a vessel used to transport large quantities of fluid.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: nautical, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A motor truck (lorry) with a tank to hold bulk liquid (with or without internal baffles): a fuel tanker (lorry), petrol tanker, road tanker.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK, US

Topics: automotive, transport, vehicles

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tanker truck, tank truck

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: usually

Topics: aeronautics, aerospace, aviation, business, engineering, government, military, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, politics, war

Examples

  • Without the KC-46 tankers orbiting in friendly airspace, our fighters would've run out of fuel long before reaching the combat zone.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: air tanker, tanker aircraft

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

An aircraft built or modified to carry water and/or fire retardant for dropping on wildfires.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: aeronautics, aerospace, aviation, business, engineering, firefighting, government, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

Examples

  • 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.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A tank car (tank wagon).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: rail-transport, railways, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

Member of a tank crew, or of an armoured unit.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: government, military, politics, war

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tankist, zipperhead

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: crewmember, trooper

7

noun

Meaning 7

An airman who serves on the crew of an aerial refueling tanker aircraft.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

A longboard.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: slang

Topics: hobbies, lifestyle, sports, surfing

Examples

  • I swung the tanker around just in time to take off with the lip.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To transport (oil, etc.) in a tanker.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: aeronautics, aerospace, aviation, business, engineering, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

a cargo ship designed to carry crude oil in bulk

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: oil tanker, oiler, tank ship

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cargo ship, cargo vessel

Narrower terms: supertanker

12

noun

Meaning 12

a soldier who drives a tank

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tank driver

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: soldier

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Prakrit 𑀝𑀁𑀓 (ṭaṃka) Gujarati ટાંકી (ṭā̃kī)bor. Portuguese tanquebor. English tank Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Old English -ere Middle English -ere English -er English tanker From tank + -er.

Across languages

Translations

96 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: نَاقِلة (nāqila) — vessel
  • Armenian: հեղուկանավ (heġukanav) — vessel
  • Belarusian: та́нкер (tánkjer) — vessel
  • Bulgarian: та́нкер (tánker) — vessel
  • Chinese Mandarin: 油船 (yóuchuán) — vessel
  • Chinese Mandarin: 液貨船 /液货船 (yèhuòchuán) — vessel
  • Czech: tanker — vessel
  • Danish: tankskib — vessel
  • Danish: tanker — vessel
  • Estonian: tanker — vessel
  • Finnish: tankkeri — vessel
  • Finnish: tankkilaiva — vessel
  • Finnish: säiliölaiva — vessel
  • Finnish: säiliöalus — vessel
  • French: navire-citerne — vessel
  • French: pétrolier — vessel
  • French: tanker — vessel
  • Georgian: ტანკერი (ṭanḳeri) — vessel
  • German: Tanker — vessel
  • German: Tankschiff — vessel
  • Greek: δεξαμενόπλοιο (dexamenóploio) — vessel
  • Hindi: टैंकर (ṭaiṅkar) — vessel
  • Italian: nave cisterna — vessel
  • Italian: petroliera — vessel
  • Japanese: タンカー (tankā) — vessel
  • Kazakh: танкер (tanker) — vessel
  • Korean: 탱커 (taengkeo) — vessel
  • Kyrgyz: танкер (tanker) — vessel
  • Latvian: tankkuģis — vessel
  • Lithuanian: tanklaivis — vessel
  • Macedonian: танкер (tanker) — vessel
  • Norwegian Bokmål: tankskip — vessel
  • Norwegian Bokmål: tankbåt — vessel
  • Norwegian Bokmål: tanker — vessel
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: tankskip — vessel
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: tankbåt — vessel
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: tankar — vessel
  • Polish: tankowiec — vessel
  • Polish: zbiornikowiec — vessel
  • Portuguese: navio-tanque — vessel
  • Romanian: petrolier — vessel
  • Romanian: tanc petrolier — vessel
  • Russian: та́нкер (tánker) — vessel
  • Russian: наливно́е су́дно (nalivnóje súdno) — vessel
  • Serbo-Croatian: та̀нкер — vessel
  • Serbo-Croatian: tànker — vessel
  • Slovak: tanker — vessel
  • Slovene: tanker — vessel
  • Spanish: buque cisterna — vessel
  • Spanish: camión cisterna — vessel
  • Spanish: avión cisterna — vessel
  • Swedish: tankfartyg — vessel
  • Swedish: tanker — vessel
  • Ukrainian: та́нкер (tánker) — vessel
  • Volapük: cubanaf — vessel
  • Bulgarian: цисте́рна (cistérna) — tank truck
  • Chinese Mandarin: 油車 /油车 (yóuchē) — tank truck
  • Danish: tankbil — tank truck
  • Danish: tankvogn — tank truck
  • Finnish: säiliöauto — tank truck
  • French: camion-citerne — tank truck
  • German: Tanklaster — tank truck
  • German: Tanklastwagen — tank truck
  • Hungarian: tartálykocsi — tank truck
  • Hungarian: üzemanyag-szállító jármű — tank truck
  • Italian: autocisterna — tank truck
  • Polish: cysterna — tank truck
  • Polish: beczkowóz — tank truck
  • Portuguese: camião-cisterna — tank truck
  • Portuguese: caminhão-tanque — tank truck
  • Romanian: autocisternă — tank truck
  • Russian: бензово́з (benzovóz) — tank truck
  • Russian: автоцисте́рна (avtocistɛ́rna) — tank truck
  • Spanish: camión cisterna — tank truck
  • Ukrainian: бензово́з (benzovóz) — tank truck
  • Belarusian: танкі́ст (tankíst) — member of a tank crew
  • Belarusian: танкі́стка (tankístka) — member of a tank crew
  • Bulgarian: танки́ст (tankíst) — member of a tank crew
  • Czech: tankista — member of a tank crew
  • Finnish: panssarimies — member of a tank crew
  • French: tankiste — member of a tank crew
  • German: Panzersoldat — member of a tank crew
  • Hungarian: páncélos — member of a tank crew
  • Italian: carrista — member of a tank crew
  • Latvian: tankists — member of a tank crew
  • Lithuanian: tanki̇̀stas — member of a tank crew
  • Lithuanian: tanki̇̀stė — member of a tank crew
  • Polish: czołgista — member of a tank crew
  • Polish: czołgistka — member of a tank crew
  • Portuguese: tanqueiro — member of a tank crew
  • Russian: танки́ст (tankíst) — member of a tank crew
  • Russian: танки́стка (tankístka) — member of a tank crew
  • Slovak: tankista — member of a tank crew
  • Tagalog: tangkista — member of a tank crew
  • Ukrainian: танкі́ст (tankíst) — member of a tank crew
  • Ukrainian: танкі́стка (tankístka) — member of a tank crew
Real reading context

tanker in complete knowledge articles

SS Ohio Technology & inventions · Developing · 24 uses Hess toys Technology & inventions · Developing · 19 uses German submarine U-96 (1940) Arts & music · Developing · 8 uses USS Sturgeon (SS-187) Technology & inventions · Developing · 6 uses Chidambara Rahasiyam (TV series) Language & communication · Challenging · 4 uses Volgotanker History & culture · Challenging · 3 uses