Collins English-English Dictionary

trail [treɪl]

1. 1. vb to drag or stream, or permit to drag or stream along a surface, esp the ground

   her skirt trailed

   she trailed her skipping rope

2. 2. vb to make (a track or path) through (a place)

   to trail a way

   to trail a jungle

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

4. 4. vb [when intr, often foll by behind] to lag or linger behind (a person or thing)

5. 5. vi. [intr] to be falling behind in a race or competition

   the favourite is trailing at the last fence

6. 6. vt. [tr] to tow (a boat, caravan, etc) behind a motor vehicle

7. 7. vt. [tr] to carry (a rifle) at the full length of the right arm in a horizontal position, with the muzzle to the fore

8. 8. vi. [intr] to move wearily or slowly

   we trailed through the city

9. 9. vt. [tr] (on television or radio) to advertise (a future programme) with short extracts

10. 10. n a print, mark, or marks made by a person, animal, or object

11. 11. n the act or an instance of trailing

12. 12. n the scent left by a moving person or animal that is followed by a hunting animal

13. 13. n a path, track, or road, esp one roughly blazed

14. 14. n something that trails behind or trails in loops or strands

15. 15. n 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

16. 16. n [engineering] the distance between the point of contact of a steerable wheel and a line drawn from the swivel pin axis to the ground

17. 17. n (on television or radio) an advertisement for a future programme

18. 18. n [Etymology] C14: from Old French trailler to draw, tow, from Vulgar Latin tragulare (unattested), from Latin tragula dragnet, from trahere to drag; compare Middle Dutch traghelen to drag