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trail Definition

trail (trāl)

transitive verb

    1. to drag or let drag behind one, esp. on the ground, etc.
    2. to bring along behind trailing exhaust fumes
    3. to pull or tow
    1. to make or mark (a path, track, etc.), as by treading down
    2. to make a path in (grass, etc.)
  3. to follow the tracks of; track
  4. to hunt by tracking
    1. to follow behind, esp. in a lagging manner
    2. to be or lag behind, as in a contest
  6. Mil. to carry (a rifle, etc.) in the right hand with the arm extended downward so that the muzzle is tilted forward and the butt is near the ground

Etymology: ME trailen < MFr trailler < VL *tragulare < L tragula, small sledge, dragnet < trahere, to draw

intransitive verb

  1. to hang down, esp. behind, so as to drag on the ground, etc.
  2. to grow so long as to extend along the ground, over rocks, etc.: said of some plants
  3. to extend in an irregular line; straggle
  4. to flow behind in a long, thin stream, wisp, etc. smoke trailed from the chimney
  5. to move, walk, go along, etc. wearily, heavily, or slowly; crawl; drag
    1. to follow or lag behind
    2. to be losing, as in a sports contest to trail by 13 points
  7. to track game: said of hounds
  8. to grow gradually weaker, dimmer, less direct, etc.: with off or away

noun

  1. something that trails or is trailed behind
  2. a mark, footprint, scent, etc. left by a person, animal, or thing that has passed
  3. ☆
    1. a path or track made by repeated passage or deliberately blazed
    2. a paved or maintained path or track, as for bicycling or hiking
  4. a series of events or conditions following something; train an illness bringing debts in its trail
  5. Mil.
    1. the position of trailing a rifle
    2. a beamlike part of a gun carriage, which may be lowered to the ground to form a rear brace

Etymology: ME traille < MFr < the v.

Related Forms:

trail Synonyms

trail

n.

trace, way, path, tracks.

trail Synonyms

trail

v.

  1. To follow

    track, trace, follow a scent; see hunt 1, 2, pursue 1.

  2. To lag behind

    fall back, loiter, tarry, linger, dawdle, be left behind, drag along, be out of the running*, be left in the cold*.

    Antonyms lead*, forge ahead, be leading.

trail Usage Examples

Object

  • newline: The return status is always 0. If -n is specified, the trailing newline is suppressed.
  • whitespace: The text is a string with leading and trailing whitespace stripped; if the source is not available it is None.
  • sprayer: Professional Services Househam Sprayers Leaders in design and manufacture of self-propelled and trailed sprayers, New and Second-hand sales.
  • slash: A trailing slash may or may not be required, depending on the program.

Converse of object

  • blaze: Legal & General is blazing a trail in the provision of online services.
  • hike: Hiking trails can be found all over the country.

Adjective modifier

  • waymarked: There are also shorter waymarked trails which run from coast to coast across the Isle of Man.
  • self-guided: There are on offer three self-guided trails to help the visitor enjoy different aspects of the Park.
  • cross-country: Swimming pool, golf course 3 km, riding stables 1 km, cross-country ski trail 35 km.
  • marked: The green marked trail of 9 km gave us an excellent idea of what the red marshes are.
  • way-marked: Park in Rostrevor forest and take a look at the information boards, which show a series of short way-marked trails.
  • well-marked: The Fagaras Mountains offer the best hiking in the country, with well-marked trails and plenty of wildlife.

Modifies a noun

  • blazer: Help us, Lord, to see him as the pathfinder, the trail blazer down this path that pursues Christlikeness.
  • riding: One of the best days riding you can have without the pressure of competition or the limitations of trail riding.

Noun used with modifier

  • audit: The audit trail should be reviewed at least once a week.
  • breadcrumb: It is the electronic equivalent of laying down a " breadcrumb trail " to mark your path.
  • vapor: It's fine, fine material, taking off for the stratosphere and leaving a vapor trail of melodic cacophony in its wake.
  • heritage: Information gathered will be used to establish a heritage trail along the riverbank.
  • nature: A wooded nature trail through the natural ravine leads down to the beach.
  • tourist: Once in Myanmar we set of on the tourist trail ' up country ' .
trail Quotes

Pull out, pull out on the LongTrailöthetrail that isalways new!

—Kipling, (Joseph) Rudyard

   Apromisemadeisa debt unpaid,andthetrail hasits own stern code.

—Service, Robert William