Tow Truck Definition, Uses & Examples

Meaning 1：towing vehicle (tow truck)

tow truck 🔊

/toʊ trʌk/

A special truck with equipment to pull or carry cars that are broken down, in an accident, or parked illegally.

Yellow tow truck lifting red sedan on highway at dusk

towing vehicle 🔊

➕

/ˈtoʊɪŋ ˈviːɪkəl/

A specialized vehicle equipped to tow or carry another vehicle that is broken, damaged, or illegally parked.

📁 Category：Transportation & Travel 🔖 Level：beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Compound: 'tow' (to pull) + 'truck' (vehicle).

💡 Mnemonic

Think of a tow truck as a 'tow' that 'trucks' your car to safety.

📖 Example

My car broke down on the highway, so I had to call a tow truck to take it to the repair shop. 🔊 My car broke down on the highway, so I had to call a tow truck to take it to the repair shop.

🔗 Collocations

call a tow truck – Phone for a vehicle that tows cars

tow truck driver – Person who operates the tow truck

tow truck service – Business providing vehicle recovery

🔄 Synonyms

wrecker (n.) – Another term for a tow truck, especially one used to clear damaged vehicles.

recovery truck (n.) – A truck designed to recover broken-down vehicles.

breakdown truck (n.) – British English term for a tow truck.

📖 Cultural Story

Tow trucks emerged in the 1910s with the rise of automobiles. Ernest Holmes Sr. invented the first tow truck in 1916 using a 1913 Cadillac.