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🚢 A cargo ship 🚚 A liquid truck 🪖 A tank driver 🛡️ A damage blocker
tanker

tanker

5 5.6
A soldier who drives a military tank
  • noun
  • /ˈtæŋkər/
  • Jargon
translation icon : tanquista
  • The talented tanker led his squad through the challenging terrain during the operation.

Examples

  • If it makes you feel better, the fourth worst was an Army tanker sergeant who had transferred to the infantry.

    Blog text (22)

  • These were the tankers who had the good fortune to jump out of their burning machines.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • When the thirsty Chinooks set down on the road, the tanker crews went to work until the helicopters were again brimming with fuel.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • I am a former Army tanker, Lieutenant, Co. B, 4th Bn., 64th Armor, 3ID.

    Blog text (15)

  • After intense training, the young tanker confidently drove the tank into the battlefield.

  • Despite the hard conditions, each tanker performed his duty with bravery and skill.

Synonyms

tank driver
vstanker
1 4.2

A soldier who controls a military tank

refers to the soldier who operates the tank rather than to training

Compounds

oil tanker
  • Specialized
13 2.5

A very large ship that carries oil across oceans

tanker truck
7 3.3

A large road vehicle that carries liquids or gas in a metal container

tanker plane
  • Specialized
1 5.6

An airplane that drops water or chemicals to fight forest fires

Surface Forms

tanker singular
tankers plural

Morphology

tanker = tank (transparent) = tank + er

The meaning is directly built from 'tank' plus the agentive suffix '-er', referring to a person associated with a tank.

Etymology

Tanker comes from tank + -er because tank first meant a 'container' or 'water storage' and the new armored fighting vehicle in World War I was secretly called a 'tank'. So a tanker is a person who operates that armored tank.