trail rope

American  

noun

1. a guide rope on an aerostat.

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trail rope British  

noun

1. another name for dragrope

2. a long rope formerly used for various military purposes, esp to allow a vehicle, horses, or men to pull a gun carriage

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Etymology

Origin of trail rope

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50

Example Sentences

My blind roommate and I hook arms and help each other find the trail rope that sporadically disappears in places, and we make it there and back, triumphant.

From New York Times • Sep. 14, 1454

As the waves came even closer to his perch, Joseph dumped the last of his sand ballast and busied himself cutting up his trail rope to throw that out piece by piece.

From Time Magazine Archive

The other end of the rope has an eye, and is fitted to slide down the main trail rope and catch on a knot at the end.

From British Airships, Past, Present, and Future by Whale, George

His only hope was to raise her, to catch her at full speed, And oft-times he had been known to catch the trail rope off his steed.

From Cowboy Songs and Other Frontier Ballads by Various

It is so designed that when the airship is held in a wind by the trail rope the strain is evenly divided between the envelope and the car.

From British Airships, Past, Present, and Future by Whale, George