trail (treɪl
)
Definitions
verb
- to drag or stream, or permit to drag or stream along a surface, esp the ground ⇒
her skirt trailed
she trailed her skipping rope
- to make (a track or path) through (a place) ⇒
to trail a way
to trail a jungle
- to chase, follow, or hunt (an animal or person) by following marks or tracks
- when intr, often foll by behind to lag or linger behind (a person or thing)
- (intr) (esp of plants) to extend or droop over or along a surface
- (intr) to be falling behind in a race or competition ⇒
the favourite is trailing at the last fence
- (tr) to tow (a boat, caravan, etc) behind a motor vehicle
- (tr) to carry (a rifle) at the full length of the right arm in a horizontal position, with the muzzle to the fore
- (intr) to move wearily or slowly ⇒
we trailed through the city
- (tr) (on television or radio) to advertise (a future programme) with short extracts
- See trail one's coat
noun
- a print, mark, or marks made by a person, animal, or object
- the act or an instance of trailing
- the scent left by a moving person or animal that is followed by a hunting animal
- a path, track, or road, esp one roughly blazed
- something that trails behind or trails in loops or strands
- the part of a towed gun carriage and limber that connects the two when in movement and rests on the ground as a partial support when unlimbered
- engineering the distance between the point of contact of a steerable wheel and a line drawn from the swivel pin axis to the ground
- (on television or radio) an advertisement for a future programme
Alternative Forms
ˈtrail-less adjective Word Origin
C14: from Old French trailler to draw, tow, from Vulgar Latin tragulāre (unattested), from Latin trāgula dragnet, from trahere to drag; compare Middle Dutch traghelen to drag
Synonyms
View thesaurus entry
=
tracks,
path,
mark,
marks,
wake,
trace,
scent,
footsteps,
footprints,
spoor,
=
follow,
track,
chase,
pursue,
dog,
hunt,
shadow,
trace,
tail,
hound,
stalk,
keep an eye on
keep tabs on,
run to ground=
lag,
follow,
drift,
wander,
linger,
trudge,
fall behind,
plod,
meander,
amble,
loiter,
straggle,
traipse,
dawdle,
hang back,
tag along,
bring up the rear,
drag yourself
