Lexic.us

Definition of Trail

1. Verb. To lag or linger behind. "But in so many other areas we still are dragging"

2. Noun. A track or mark left by something that has passed. "A tear left its trail on her cheek"

3. Verb. Go after with the intent to catch. "They trail the car down the avenue"; "The dog chased the rabbit"

4. Noun. A path or track roughly blazed through wild or hilly country.

5. Verb. Move, proceed, or walk draggingly or slowly. "The Mercedes trailed behind the horse cart"

6. Noun. Evidence pointing to a possible solution. "The trail led straight to the perpetrator"

7. Verb. Hang down so as to drag along the ground. "The bride's veiled trailed along the ground"

8. Verb. Drag loosely along a surface; allow to sweep the ground. "She trained her long scarf behind her"

Definition of Trail

1. v. t. To hunt by the track; to track.

2. v. i. To be drawn out in length; to follow after.

3. n. A track left by man or beast; a track followed by the hunter; a scent on the ground by the animal pursued; as, a deer trail.

Definition of Trail

1. Verb. (transitive) To follow behind (someone or something); to tail (someone or something). ¹

2. Verb. (transitive) To drag (something) behind on the ground. ¹

3. Verb. (transitive) To leave (a trail of). ¹

4. Verb. (transitive) To show a trailer of (a film, TV show etc.); to release or publish a preview of (a report etc.) in advance of the full publication. ¹

5. Verb. To be losing, to be behind in a competition. ¹

6. Noun. The track or indication marking the route followed by something that has passed, such as the footprints of animal on land or the contrail of an airplane in the sky. ¹

7. Noun. A route for travel over land, especially a narrow, unpaved pathway for use by hikers, horseback riders, etc. ¹

8. Noun. A trailer broadcast on television for a forthcoming film or programme. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Trail

1. to drag along a surface [v -ED, -ING, -S]

Medical Definition of Trail

1. 1. To be drawn out in length; to follow after. "When his brother saw the red blood trail." (Spenser) 2. To grow to great length, especially when slender and creeping upon the ground, as a plant; to run or climb. 1. A track left by man or beast; a track followed by the hunter; a scent on the ground by the animal pursued; as, a deer trail. "They traveled in the bed of the brook, leaving no dangerous trail." (Cooper) "How cheerfully on the false trail they cry!" (Shak) 2. A footpath or road track through a wilderness or wild region; as, an Indian trail over the plains. 3. Anything drawn out to a length; as, the trail of a meteor; a trail of smoke. "When lightning shoots in glittering trails along." (Rowe) 4. Anything drawn behind in long undulations; a train. "A radiant trail of hair." 5. Anything drawn along, as a vehicle. 6. A frame for trailing plants; a trellis. 7. The entrails of a fowl, especially of game, as the woodcock, and the like; applied also, sometimes, to the entrails of sheep. "The woodcock is a favorite with epicures, and served with its trail in, is a delicious dish." (Baird) 8. That part of the stock of a gun carriage which rests on the ground when the piece is unlimbered. 9. The act of taking advantage of the ignorance of a person; an imposition. Trail boards, the carved boards on both sides of the cutwater near the figurehead. Trail net, a net that is trailed or drawn behind a boat. 1. To hunt by the track; to track. 2. To draw or drag, as along the ground. "And hung his head, and trailed his legs along." (Dryden) "They shall not trail me through their streets Like a wild beast." (Milton) "Long behind he trails his pompous robe." (Pope) 3. To carry, as a firearm, with the breech near the ground and the upper part inclined forward, the piece being held by the right hand near the middle. 4. To tread down, as grass, by walking through it; to lay flat. 5. To take advantage of the ignorance of; to impose upon. "I presently perceived she was (what is vernacularly termed) trailing Mrs. Dent; that is, playing on her ignorance." (C. Bronte) Origin: OE. Trailen, OF. Trailler to trail a deer, or hunt him upon a cold scent, also, to hunt or pursue him with a limehound, F. Trailler to trail a fishing line; probably from a derivative of L. Trahere to draw; cf. L. Traha a drag, sledge, tragula a kind of drag net, a small sledge, Sp. Trailla a leash, an instrument for leveling the ground, D. Treilen to draw with a rope, to tow, treil a rope for drawing a boat. See Trace. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Trail

tragophonia tragule tragules tragus tragœdy trahison trahison des clercs trahisons trahisons des clercs traif

traik traiked traiking traikit traiks trail bike trail boss trail hand trail head trail making test

trail mix trail mixes trail riding trailbaston trailblazer trailblazers trailblazing trailbreaker trailbreakers

Literary usage of Trail

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. The American Fur Trade of the Far West: A History of the Pioneer Trading by Hiram Martin Chittenden (1902)
"THE trail. General Description — The Cimarron Desert — Mountain branch of the trail — Government survey of the road — Work of Surveyor Brown — Location of ..."

2. Dictionary of National Biography by LESLIE. STEPHEN (1899)
"trail died unmarried on 16 May 1716 at the age of seventy-four. Ills brother William, the minister of Borthwick, has had many clerical descendants of note, ..."

3. Our Wild Indians: Thirty-three Years Personal Experience Among the Red Men by Richard Irving Dodge (1884)
"Indeed, a few of the most prominent roads of the frontier always retain this designation, and it is common to hear men speak of the "Old Santa Fe trail," ..."

4. The Bookman Popul (1916)
"... Master The Harbour The Rainbow trail The Lovable Meddler Pollyanna Grows Up The Rainbow trail The Storv of Julia Page Felix O'Day "K" Pollyanna Grows Up ..."

5. The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper, Margaret Nanette Haight (1909)
"CHAPTER VIII THEY FIND A trail At last Hawkeye spoke in English: "When I found that the home path of the Iroquois ran north, it did not need the judgment of ..."

6. The Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the by Charles George Herbermann, Edward Aloysius Pace, Condé Bénoist Pallen, Thomas Joseph Shahan, John Joseph Wynne (1913)
"Bishops and priests are also spoken of as a "commandment of God" in ad trail., iii, 2; ad Philad. (title); the bishops and the priests are instituted ..."

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