trail

/treɪl/

/treɪl/

Other forms: trails; trailed

A trail is an unpaved path, like the narrow trail you follow through the woods on your hike. A trail can also be a series of clues that are left behind, also forming a kind of path.

You can walk along a trail, and you can also follow a trail: "My little brother left a trail of cracker crumbs behind him, so I found him right away." When you trail, you move slowly behind something or someone, or you drag something on the ground: "She sadly trails her deflated balloon behind her." You also might trail someone you're chasing: "My dog likes to trail squirrels around the yard."

Definitions of trail

1. noun

   a path or track roughly blazed through wild or hilly country
   examples:

   Iditarod Trail

   a trail that extends 1,100 miles from Anchorage over the Alaska Range to Nome

   Santa Fe Trail

   a trail that extends from Missouri to New Mexico; an important route for settlers moving west in the 19th century

   types:

   cattle trail

   a trail over which cattle were driven to market

   deer trail

   a trail worn by the passage of deer

   horse-trail

   a trail for horses

   Indian trail

   a trail through the wilderness worn by Amerindians

   mountain trail

   a trail through mountainous country

   ski run, ski trail

   trail or slope prepared for skiing

   piste

   a ski run densely packed with snow

   type of:

   cart track, cartroad, track

   any road or path affording passage especially a rough one
2. noun

   a track or mark left by something that has passed
   “a tear left its trail on her cheek”

   types:

   slot

   the trail of an animal (especially a deer)

   spoor

   the trail left by a person or an animal; what the hunter follows in pursuing game

   type of:

   course, path, track

   a line or route along which something travels or moves
3. noun

   evidence pointing to a possible solution
   synonyms: lead, track

   type of:

   evidence, grounds

   your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief
4. verb

   lag or linger behind
   synonyms: drag, drop back, drop behind, get behind, hang back

   type of:

   dawdle, fall back, fall behind, lag

   hang (back) or fall (behind) in movement, progress, development, etc.
5. verb

   move, proceed, or walk draggingly or slowly
   “John trailed behind his class mates”

   “The Mercedes trailed behind the horse cart”

   synonyms: shack

   type of:

   go, locomote, move, travel

   change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
6. verb

   go after with the intent to catch
   synonyms: chase, chase after, dog, give chase, go after, tag, tail, track

   types:

   tree

   chase an animal up a tree

   quest

   search the trail of (game)

   hound, hunt, trace

   pursue or chase relentlessly

   run down

   pursue until captured

   ferret

   hound or harry relentlessly

   type of:

   follow, pursue

   follow in or as if in pursuit
7. verb

   hang down so as to drag along the ground
   “The bride's veiled trailed along the ground”

   synonyms:

   train

   drag loosely along a surface; allow to sweep the ground
8. verb

   drag loosely along a surface; allow to sweep the ground
   “The toddler was trailing his pants”

   synonyms: train

   type of:

   drag

   pull, as against a resistance