Trail (Verb)
Meaning 1
Go after with the intent to catch; "The policeman chased the mugger down the alley"; "the dog chased the rabbit".
Classification
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming.
Examples
- The detective trail her suspect until she came across a crucial clue.
- The kids trail the rabbit through the forest, watching as it hopped away.
- After the theft, the insurance investigator trail the disgruntled former employee.
- The officer trail the speeding car until it pulled over at a safe location.
- A group of wilderness explorers trail the last grizzly bear seen in the region.
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Meaning 2
Move, proceed, or walk draggingly or slowly; "John trailed behind his class mates"; "The Mercedes trailed behind the horse cart".
Classification
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming.
Examples
- Her tired eyes trailed slowly across the page of the heavy textbook as she tried to study.
- The tired hikers trailed behind the rest of the group on the long uphill climb.
- The child's socks trailed behind him as he played outside without shoes.
- A long dress trailed behind the bride as she walked down the aisle of the church.
- After the long day of work, her energy trailed slowly draining away as she trudged home.
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Meaning 3
Hang down so as to drag along the ground; "The bride's veiled trailed along the ground".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- The bridal veil trailed delicately behind the bride as she walked down the aisle.
- Seaweed trailed behind the boat as it drifted in the calm waters.
- The feather boa trailed along the floor, a sign of the glamorous party nights past.
- Her long coat trailed behind her as she quickly rushed through the crowded station.
- The ribbon on the cat's collar trailed behind it as it chased the fluttering fly.
Meaning 4
To lag or linger behind; "But in so many other areas we still are dragging".
Classification
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming.
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Meaning 5
Drag loosely along a surface; allow to sweep the ground; "The toddler was trailing his pants"; "She trained her long scarf behind her".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- The bridal veil was trailing down the church aisle as the bride walked towards the altar.
- The toddler was trailing his pants on the floor and getting them dirty.
- She trained her long scarf behind her as she entered the royal ballroom.
- As the parade units passed by, some floats were trailing streamers of colorful balloons.
- The cat's long tail kept trailing back and forth as she walked along the windowsill.