Lorry

Lorry

Noun · /ˈlɒr.i/

Definition

(British English) a large motor vehicle for transporting heavy loads; a truck. The standard British term where North American English uses truck.

Origin

Origin uncertain; the word is attested from the 1830s initially referring to a low four-wheeled flatbed vehicle or trolley, later applied to motor vehicles. Possibly from the personal name Laurie (a diminutive of Lawrence), or from lurry (a dialectal word meaning to pull or drag). The motorised sense developed in the early 20th century as steam and then petrol lorries replaced horse-drawn vehicles.