Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

18-wheeler

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.76 in modern English

Syllables: 18-wheel-er
IPA

13

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

3

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A big rig truck: a semi-trailer plus the truck or tractor pulling it.

Example Sentences

"On a cold morning in Abilene, Texas, a column of 18-wheelers crawls down bumpy, waterlogged roads, past cattle grazing on dusty shrubs."

Etymology

From the total number of wheels: two front steering wheels on the tractor, plus dual wheels on each end of two axles (total of 8) at the rear of the tractor and supporting the front of the trailer, plus dual wheels on two axles at the rear of the trailer.

Inflected Forms

18-wheelers (plural) eighteen-wheeler (alternative)

Synonyms

semi-trailer truck semi truck semi articulated lorry artic big rig juggernaut tractor-trailer truck and trailer

Questions

What does 18-wheeler mean?: A big rig truck: a semi-trailer plus the truck or tractor pulling it.
Where does 18-wheeler come from?: From the total number of wheels: two front steering wheels on the tractor, plus dual wheels on each end of two axles (total of 8) at the rear of the tractor and supporting the front of the trailer, plus dual wheels on two axles at the rear of the trailer.

How to pronounce 18-wheeler

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “18-wheeler”.
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