Advertisement
Advertisement
trail
[ treyl ]
verb (used with object)
- to drag or let drag along the ground or other surface; draw or drag along behind.
- to bring or have floating after itself or oneself:
a racing car trailing clouds of dust.
- to follow the track, trail, or scent of; track.
- to follow along behind (another), as in a race.
- to mark out, as a track.
- to tread down or make a path through (grass or the like).
- to draw out, as speech; protract.
- Ceramics. to pour (slip) on a biscuit so as to produce a pattern.
verb (used without object)
- to be drawn or dragged along the ground or some other surface, as when hanging from something moving:
Her long bridal gown trailed across the floor.
- to hang down loosely from something.
- to stream from or float after something moving, as dust, smoke, and sparks do.
- to follow as if drawn along.
- to fish by trailing a line from a moving boat; troll.
- to go slowly, lazily, or wearily along.
- to pass or extend in a straggling line.
- to change gradually or wander from a course, so as to become weak, ineffectual, etc. (usually followed by off or away ):
Her voice trailed off into silence.
- to arrive or be last:
He finally trailed in at 10 o'clock.
- to be losing in a contest:
The home team was trailing 20 to 15.
- to creep or crawl, as a serpent.
- to follow a track or scent, as of game.
- (of a plant) to extend itself in growth along the ground rather than taking root or clinging by tendrils, etc.
noun
- a path or track made across a wild region, over rough country, or the like, by the passage of people or animals.
- the track, scent, or the like, left by an animal, person, or thing, especially as followed by a hunter, hound, or other pursuer.
Synonyms: spoor
- something that is trailed or that trails behind, as the train of a skirt or robe.
- a stream of dust, smoke, light, people, vehicles, etc., behind something moving.
- Artillery. the part of a gun carriage that rests on the ground when the piece is unlimbered.
- Architecture. a running vine, leaf, or tendril ornament, as in a Gothic molding.
trail
/ treɪl /
verb
- to drag or stream, or permit to drag or stream along a surface, esp the ground
she trailed her skipping rope
her skirt trailed
- to make (a track or path) through (a place)
to trail a jungle
to trail a way
- to chase, follow, or hunt (an animal or person) by following marks or tracks
- whenintr, 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
- trail one's coatto invite a quarrel by deliberately provocative behaviour
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
Derived Forms
- ˈtrail-less, adjective
Other Words From
- trailing·ly adverb
- trailless adjective
- non·trailing adjective
- un·trailed adjective
- un·trailing adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of trail1
Word History and Origins
Origin of trail1
Idioms and Phrases
- trail arms, Military.
- to hold a rifle in the right hand at an oblique angle, with the muzzle forward and the butt a few inches off the ground.
- a command to trail arms.
More idioms and phrases containing trail
see blaze a trail .Synonym Study
Advertisement
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse