trail

Plural: trails

Noun

a track or mark left by something that has passed
- "there as a trail of blood"
- "a tear left its trail on her cheek"
a path or track roughly blazed through wild or hilly country
evidence pointing to a possible solution
- "the trail led straight to the perpetrator"
The track or indication marking the route followed by something that has passed, such as the footprints of animal on land or the contrail of an airplane in the sky.
A route for travel over land, especially a narrow, unpaved pathway for use by hikers, horseback riders, etc.
A route or circuit generally.
A trailer broadcast on television for a forthcoming film or programme.
A walk in which all the edges are distinct.
The horizontal distance from where the wheel touches the ground to where the steering axis intersects the ground.

Verb

Verb Forms: trailed, trailing, trails

To drag along a surface; to follow a path.
to lag or linger behind
go after with the intent to catch
move, proceed, or walk draggingly or slowly
- "John trailed behind his class mates"
- "The 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
- "The toddler was trailing his pants"
To follow behind (someone or something); to tail (someone or something).
To drag (something) behind on the ground.
To leave (a trail of).
To show a trailer of (a film, TV show etc.); to release or publish a preview of (a report etc.) in advance of the full publication.
To hang or drag loosely behind; to move with a slow sweeping motion.
To run or climb like certain plants.
To drag oneself lazily or reluctantly along.
To be losing, to be behind in a competition.
To carry (a firearm) with the breech near the ground and the upper part inclined forward, the piece being held by the right hand near the middle.
To create a trail in.
To travel by following or creating trails.
To transport (livestock) by herding it along a trail.
To take advantage of the ignorance of; to impose upon.

Examples

condensation trail
data trail, paper trail
Don’t TRAIL your words too far, or you’ll open up the board for your opponent.
He walked into the house, soaking wet, and trailed water all over the place.
His new film was trailed on TV last night.
Our parents marched to church and we trailed behind.
Politicians are on the campaign trail in preparation for this year's election.
The bride's long dress trailed behind her as she walked down the aisle.
The hunters trailed their prey deep into the woods.
There were no surprises in this morning's much-trailed budget statement.
trail of blood
You'll get your coat all muddy if you trail it around like that.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English trailen, from Old French trailler (“to tow; pick up the scent of a quarry”), from Vulgar Latin *tragulāre (“to drag”), from Latin tragula (“dragnet, javelin thrown by a strap”), probably related to Latin trahere (“to pull, drag along”).

Synonyms

chase, chase after, dog, drag, drop back, drop behind, get behind, give chase, go after, hang back, lead, shack, tag, tail, track, train, dirt track, footpath, path, sign, spoor

Scrabble Score: 5

trail: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
trail: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
trail: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 6

trail: valid Words With Friends Word