dray
dray Lexical Profile
dray Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A low, heavy cart without sides, traditionally drawn by strong horses and used for transporting heavy loads such as barrels.
"The local brewery still maintains a traditional horse-drawn dray for delivering kegs during the annual festival."
A nest constructed by a squirrel, typically made of twigs and leaves and positioned high in the branches of a tree.
"Looking closely at the bare winter branches, the hikers spotted a large dray built by gray squirrels."
• verb
To transport or convey goods using a low, heavy cart.
"The merchants spent the entire morning draying heavy crates from the shipyard to the warehouse."
Word Nuance & Usage
When referring to a squirrel's nest, the spelling 'drey' is generally preferred in modern usage, though 'dray' remains an accepted variant.
• Rhymes for dray
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'dræge' (a dragnet), derived from the Proto-Germanic root of 'dragan' (to draw or pull). The term originally referred to something dragged or pulled, evolving to mean a heavy, low-slung horse cart.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.