trail Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a track or mark left by something that has passed
    • there as a trail of blood
    • a tear left its trail on her cheek
  2. noun a path or track roughly blazed through wild or hilly country
  3. noun evidence pointing to a possible solution
    track; lead.
    • the police are following a promising lead
    • the trail led straight to the perpetrator
  4. verb to lag or linger behind
    drop behind; hang back; drag; get behind; drop back.
    • But in so many other areas we still are dragging
  5. verb go after with the intent to catch
    go after; chase after; track; dog; tail; tag; give chase; chase.
    • The policeman chased the mugger down the alley
    • the dog chased the rabbit
  6. verb move, proceed, or walk draggingly or slowly
    shack.
    • John trailed behind his class mates
    • The Mercedes trailed behind the horse cart
  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
    train.
    • The toddler was trailing his pants
    • She trained her long scarf behind her

WordNet

Trail transitive verb
Etymology
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, v. t.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Trailed ; present participle & verbal noun Trailing
Definitions
  1. To hunt by the track; to track. (b) to follow behind. (c) To pursue. Halliwell.
  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. (Mil.) 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. Longfellow.
  5. To take advantage of the ignorance of; to impose upon. Prov. Eng.
    I presently perceived she was (what is vernacularly termed) trailing Mrs. Dent; that is, playing on her ignorance. C. Bronte.
Trail intransitive verb
Definitions
  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.
Trail noun
Definitions
  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." Pope.
  5. Anything drawn along, as a vehicle. Obs.
  6. A frame for trailing plants; a trellis. Obs.
  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. (Mil.) That part of the stock of a gun carriage which rests on the ground when the piece is unlimbered. See Illust. of Gun carriage, under Gun.
  9. The act of taking advantage of the ignorance of a person; an imposition. Prov. Eng. Wright.

Webster 1913