trail
a track or mark left by something that has passed
How often you will meet it
Rank 1,888 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 9,486 times across 155,370 chapters — 0.005% of every word in the library.
What it means
noun
- a track or mark left by something that has passed there as a trail of blooda tear left its trail on her cheek
- a path or track roughly blazed through wild or hilly country
- evidence pointing to a possible solution also: lead, track the police are following a promising leadthe trail led straight to the perpetrator
verb
- to lag or linger behind also: drag, get behind, hang back, drop behind, drop back But in so many other areas we still are dragging
- go after with the intent to catch also: chase, chase after, tail, tag, give chase, dog The policeman chased the mugger down the alleythe dog chased the rabbit
- move, proceed, or walk draggingly or slowly also: shack John trailed behind his class matesThe Mercedes trailed behind the horse cart
- hang down so as to drag along the ground The bride's veiled trailed along the ground
- drag loosely along a surface; allow to sweep the ground also: train The toddler was trailing his pantsShe trained her long scarf behind her
trail in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
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In a moment all signs of the trail were obliterated.
The Winning of Barbara Worth · Harold Bell Wright · Chapter 1
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Author of Rung Ho, King--of the Khyber Rifles, Hira Singh, The Ivory Trail, etc.
The Eye of Zeitoon · Talbot Mundy · Chapter 1
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Author of "The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come," "The Trail of the Lonesome Pine," Etc.
The Heart of the Hills · John, Jr. Fox · Chapter 1
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I struck his trail, hot, on the street, and followed it on a run to a cheap hotel.
A Double Barrelled Detective Story · Mark Twain · Chapter 1
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The trail bent abruptly to the right; a gulf fully two thousand feet deep was at his feet!
A Phyllis of the Sierras · Bret Harte · Chapter 1