Etymologically
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tanker

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 31 October 2026 at 15:21. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • UK: /ˈtæŋkə/[1]
  • US: /ˈtæŋkɚ/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from English tank + -er.[2][3][4][5] The noun tank, a large container for liquids, came into English in the 17th century; the OED calls its origin obscure, and it may come from an Indian language, from Portuguese tanque (“pond, reservoir”), or from both.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

A seagoing ship fitted with tanks to carry oil or other liquids in bulk: 1900, in the Boston Herald.[2][3][6]

Semantic evolution

The word moved from ships to land transport, a road or rail vehicle with a tank for fluids, by 1927,[2][3] and to the air in 1931, for an aircraft that carries fuel in bulk, especially one that refuels other aircraft in flight.[2][4] A verb tanker, to carry in tankers, is recorded from 1980.[2]

Timeline

  • 1900 – a ship for carrying oil or other liquid cargo.[2][3][6]
  • 1927 – a road or rail vehicle with a tank for liquids.[2][3]
  • 1931 – an aircraft carrying fuel in bulk, especially for refuelling in the air.[2]
  • 1980 – verb, to transport in tankers.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A ship built to carry oil or another liquid in bulk.[7][6][2]
  2. A lorry, truck or rail wagon carrying a tank for liquids such as fuel, milk or chemicals: A fuel tanker had overturned on the motorway.[7][6][2]
  3. An aircraft that carries fuel in bulk, especially one used to refuel other aircraft in flight.[7][6][2]

Word family

  • supertanker
  • oil tanker

Usage notes

Tanker is also used for a member of the crew of a military tank (1918), formed from tank in that sense,[2][6] and in slang for a heavy drinker (1912 in Australia).[8][2]

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
  6. ^ a b c d e f Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  7. ^ a b c Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
  8. ^ Green, Jonathon (2010), Green's Dictionary of Slang, London: Chambers; digital ed. 2016–, https://greensdictofslang.com