Truck \Truck\, n. [L. trochus an iron hoop, Gr. ? a wheel, fr. ?
to run. See Trochee, and cf. Truckle, v. i.]
1. A small wheel, as of a vehicle; specifically (Ord.), a
small strong wheel, as of wood or iron, for a gun
carriage.
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2. A low, wheeled vehicle or barrow for carrying goods,
stone, and other heavy articles.
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Goods were conveyed about the town almost
exclusively in trucks drawn by dogs. --Macaulay.
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3. (Railroad Mach.) A swiveling carriage, consisting of a
frame with one or more pairs of wheels and the necessary
boxes, springs, etc., to carry and guide one end of a
locomotive or a car; -- sometimes called bogie in England.
Trucks usually have four or six wheels.
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4. (Naut.)
(a) A small wooden cap at the summit of a flagstaff or a
masthead, having holes in it for reeving halyards
through.
(b) A small piece of wood, usually cylindrical or
disk-shaped, used for various purposes.
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5. A freight car. [Eng.]
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6. A frame on low wheels or rollers; -- used for various
purposes, as for a movable support for heavy bodies.
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7. a motorized vehicle larger than an automobile with a
compartment in front for the driver, behind which is a
separate compartment for freight; esp.
(a) such a vehicle with an inflexible body.
(b) A vehicle with a short body and a support for
attaching a trailer; -- also called a tractor[4].
(c) the combination of tractor and trailer, also called a
tractor-trailer (a form of articulated vehicle); it
is a common form of truck, and is used primarily for
hauling freight on a highway.
(d) a tractor with more than one trailer attached in a
series. In Australia, often referred to as a road
train.
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