carrier

Everyday

1. A carrier is a person, animal, vehicle or company that carries or delivers things or people: a mail carrier, an aircraft carrier. tree →
2. A carrier is a bag, box or holder for carrying something: a pet carrier, a carrier bag. tree →
3. A carrier of a disease has the germs and can pass them to others, sometimes without being ill. tree →
4. A carrier is a company that gives mobile phone service or flies planes (an airline). tree →

In the lessons

In science and health lessons, mosquitoes are carriers of diseases like malaria; washing hands stops germs spreading. In geography and history, aircraft carriers are huge ships that planes take off from. In everyday life: «carrier bag» (UK) for shopping, «mail carrier» (US) for the person who brings letters, a cat carrier for the vet. Phrases: «carrier bag», «pet carrier», «aircraft carrier», «mail carrier», «baby carrier».

Examples

• The mail carrier brought a parcel. tree →
• We took the cat to the vet in a carrier. tree →
• Mosquitoes can be carriers of disease. tree →
• The aircraft carrier was as long as three football fields. tree →
• Can I have a carrier bag, please? tree →
• Pigeons were once used as message carriers. tree →
• Dad carries the baby in a baby carrier. tree →
• Which carrier does your phone use? tree →

Note

Countable. From «carry» + -er (y → i): carrier. «Carrier pigeon» is a pigeon trained to carry messages. In the UK, «carrier bag» is a plastic or paper shopping bag.