trail

[ treyl ]

/ treɪl /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR trail ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

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.

Idioms for trail

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.

Origin of trail

1275–1325; Middle English trailen to draw or drag in the rear; compare Old English træglian to tear off; cognate with Middle Dutch traghelen to drag; akin to Latvian dragât to tear off, drag

SYNONYMS FOR trail

3 trace, hunt.

16 diminish, shrink, dwindle.

22 See path.

23 spoor.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR trail ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM trail

trail·ing·ly, adverb trail·less, adjective non·trail·ing, adjective un·trailed, adjective

un·trail·ing, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH trail

trail trial (see synonym study at trial)

Words nearby trail

tragion, tragopan, tragus, traherne, traik, trail, trail away, trail bike, trail boss, trail herd, trail man

Example sentences from the Web for trailing

Trailing only the economy, education and classroom issues dominated thinking among voters nationwide.

Why Voters Love Common Core |Harold Ford Jr. |November 28, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Braley is trailing Republican Joni Ernst by a slight margin heading into Election Day.

Pro-Life Group Sends Over The Top Mailer |Ben Jacobs |October 31, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
But after pulling ahead of Nunn in September, three recent polls have shown Perdue tying or trailing her.

The GOP’s Really Big Problem in Georgia |Patricia Murphy |October 22, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
In April, Wehby was the front-runner; now, she is trailing badly and Oregon is safely in the D column.

What Do Women Want? Not the GOP |Lloyd Green |September 8, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

With a 34 percent approval rating, Brownback is now trailing Democratic gubernatorial nominee Paul Davis.

The Kansas Independent Who Could Control the Senate |John Avlon |September 6, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
But trailing clouds of glory, do we come From God, who is our home: Heaven lies about us in our infancy!

Familiar Quotations |Various
But previously there is the other little formality of purchasing the trailing garments of the Profession.

Punch, Or The London Charivari, Vol. 99., October 11, 1890 |Various
Suspicion slid down the banisters of his mind, trailing a blue ribbon.

A Christmas Garland |Max Beerbohm
They were trailing through a dense forest, with trees on every side, lifting their heads a hundred feet and more to the sky.

Marching on Niagara |Edward Stratemeyer
Slowly the globe with its trailing tentacles moved about the room.

Hunters Out of Space |Joseph Everidge Kelleam

British Dictionary definitions for trailing (1 of 2)

trailing

/ (ˈtreɪlɪŋ) /

adjective

(of a plant) having a long stem which spreads over the ground or hangs loosely trailing ivy

British Dictionary definitions for trailing (2 of 2)

trail

/ (treɪl) /

verb

to drag or stream, or permit to drag or stream along a surface, esp the ground her skirt trailed; she trailed her skipping rope

to make (a track or path) through (a place) to trail a way; to trail a jungle

to chase, follow, or hunt (an animal or person) by following marks or tracks

(when intr, 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 coat to 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 of trail

trail-less, adjective

Word Origin for trail

C14: from Old French trailler to draw, tow, from Vulgar Latin tragulāre (unattested), from Latin trāgula dragnet, from trahere to drag; compare Middle Dutch traghelen to drag

Idioms and Phrases with trailing

trail

see blaze a trail.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

trail

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

noun

Idioms for trail

Origin of trail

SYNONYMS FOR trail

OTHER WORDS FROM trail

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH trail

Words nearby trail

Example sentences from the Web for trailing

British Dictionary definitions for trailing (1 of 2)

adjective

British Dictionary definitions for trailing (2 of 2)

verb

noun

Derived forms of trail

Word Origin for trail

Idioms and Phrases with trailing

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

trail

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

noun

Idioms for trail

Origin of trail

SYNONYMS FOR trail

OTHER WORDS FROM trail

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH trail

Words nearby trail

Words related to trailing

Example sentences from the Web for trailing

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for trailing (1 of 2)

adjective

British Dictionary definitions for trailing (2 of 2)

verb

noun

Derived forms of trail

Word Origin for trail

Idioms and Phrases with trailing

British Dictionary definitions for trailing (1 of 2)