/ treɪ; NAmE / noun
1.
a flat piece of wood, metal or plastic with raised edges, used for carrying or holding things, especially food :
He brought her breakfast in bed on a tray.
She came in with a tray of drinks.
a tea tray
2.
(often in compounds) a shallow plastic box, used for various purposes :
a seed tray (= for planting seeds in)
a cat's litter tray
—see also baking tray , in tray , out tray
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WORD ORIGIN
late Old English trīg , from the Germanic base of tree ; the primary sense may have been wooden container .