Trailers Used to Be Shown After the Film
A trailer is something towed behind, and a promotional clip. The film sense is literal: trailers once trailed the feature.
A trailer is a vehicle towed behind another. The cinema sense is exactly as literal: promotional clips were originally shown *after* the feature, trailing it. Audiences left before they finished, so cinemas moved them to the front — and the name stayed, now describing something that comes first.
- A towed vehicle. *A boat trailer.*
- A promotional clip. *The film's trailer.*
- A mobile home (American). *A trailer park.*
- To promote in advance. *The announcement was trailed.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | trailer | A flatbed trailer. |
| Plural | trailers | Two trailers. |
| Verb | trail | Trail the story. |
| Compound | trailer park | A trailer park. |
| Related | teaser | A teaser trailer. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The trailer gives away too much.A frequent complaint.
- Hitch the trailer properly.Towing.
- The policy was trailed in the press.Announced in advance to prepare opinion.
Promotional formats
- Teaser — very short, released early
- Trailer — the main promotional clip
- TV spot — a shorter cut for broadcast
- Clip — an extract from the film itself
- Featurette — a short behind-the-scenes piece
From *trail*, from Old French *trailler*, to tow. The cinema sense dates from the 1910s, when the clips genuinely came last.
Why is it called a trailer if it comes first?
Because it originally came last, trailing the feature. Cinemas moved it to the front when audiences left too early to see it.
Trailer or caravan?
In Britain a caravan is towed for holidays. In America a trailer can be a mobile home, and the towed holiday version is a travel trailer.