trail rope

noun

1. a guide rope on an aerostat.

trail rope

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of trail rope¹

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

We rode up to the front of the principal one, dismounted, and hitched our horses by dropping the trail rope to the ground.

From Project Gutenberg

The other was secured against escape by means of a trail rope, which was bound about his wrists and ankles.

From Project Gutenberg

Trail rope 220 " Car and motor 529 " Fuel 770 " Oil 160 " Oil and fuel tanks, instruments, miscellaneous 1,637 " Crew, passengers, ballast 1,654 " Total 6,834 lbs.

From Project Gutenberg

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