trail
Definitions
A rough path through countryside or wilderness
小径，山径
A series of marks or signs left behind by someone or something
痕迹，踪迹；一连串线索
To follow someone or something secretly
跟踪，追踪
To drag or be dragged along behind; to lag behind in a contest
拖在身后；（比赛中）落后
Root Breakdown
Native EnglishFrom Old French trailler ('to tow, drag'), from the same trahere family. The core image is dragging: something dragged along leaves a trail (a line of marks); a path worn by dragging feet is a trail; to trail someone is to drag along behind them.
Root tra still carries 109 more wordsWhy It Means This
trail keeps the literal 'drag' alive better than most of the family. Everything it means flows from dragging: a trailer is towed (dragged) behind a truck; a paper trail is the line of documents dragged behind a transaction; to trail in a race is to be dragged along at the back. Even a wedding dress's trailing hem is being pulled along the floor.
Common Collocations
- 1.hiking trail登山步道
- 2.paper trail书面记录痕迹
- 3.blaze a trail开辟新路
- 4.on the trail of在追查……
Example Sentences
- 1.
We followed the mountain trail up to the waterfall.
- 2.
The wounded animal left a trail of blood.
- 3.
Detectives trailed the suspect for three days.
- 4.
Her team is trailing by two points in the final quarter.