/ træk; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
ROUGH PATH
1.
[ C ] a rough path or road, usually one that has not been built but that has been made by people walking there :
a muddy track through the forest
—see also cart track
MARKS ON GROUND
2.
[ C , usually pl. ] marks left by a person, an animal or a moving vehicle :
We followed the bear's tracks in the snow.
tyre tracks
FOR TRAIN
3.
[ C , U ] rails that a train moves along :
railway / railroad tracks
India has thousands of miles of track.
4.
[ C ] ( NAmE ) a track with a number at a train station that a train arrives at or leaves from :
The train for Chicago is on track 9.
➡ note at platform
FOR RACES
5.
[ C ] a piece of ground with a special surface for people, cars, etc. to have races on :
a running track
a Formula One Grand Prix track (= for motor racing)
—see also dirt track (2), track and field
DIRECTION / COURSE
6.
[ C ] the path or direction that sb/sth is moving in :
Police are on the track of (= searching for) the thieves.
She is on the fast track to promotion (= will get it quickly) .
—see also one-track mind
ON TAPE / CD
7.
[ C ] a piece of music or song on a record, tape or CD :
a track from their latest album
8.
[ C ] part of a tape or computer disk that music or information can be recorded on :
a sixteen track recording studio
She sang on the backing track.
—see also soundtrack
FOR CURTAIN
9.
[ C ] a pole or rail that a curtain moves along
ON LARGE VEHICLE
10.
[ C ] a continuous belt of metal plates around the wheels of a large vehicle such as a bulldozer that allows it to move over the ground
•
IDIOMS
- back on track
- be on track
- keep / lose track of sb/sth
- make tracks
- on the right / wrong track
- stop / halt sb in their tracks | stop / halt / freeze in your tracks
—more at beat verb , cover verb , hot adjective , wrong adjective
■ verb
FOLLOW
1.
to find sb/sth by following the marks, signs, information, etc., that they have left behind them :
[ vn ]
hunters tracking and shooting bears
[also v ]
2.
to follow the movements of sb/sth, especially by using special electronic equipment :
[ vn ]
We continued tracking the plane on our radar.
[also v wh- ]
3.
to follow the progress or development of sb/sth :
[ vn ]
The research project involves tracking the careers of 400 graduates.
[also v wh- ]
—see also fast-track
OF CAMERA
4.
[ v + adv. / prep. ] to move in relation to the thing that is being filmed :
The camera eventually tracked away.
SCHOOL STUDENTS
5.
[ vn ] ( NAmE ) = stream (4)
LEAVE MARKS
6.
[ vn ] ( especially NAmE ) to leave dirty marks behind you as you walk :
Don't track mud on my clean floor.
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- track sb/sth down
••
WORD ORIGIN
late 15th cent. (in the sense trail, marks left behind ): the noun from Old French trac , perhaps from Low German or Dutch trek draught, drawing; the verb (current senses dating from the mid 16th cent.) from French traquer or directly from the noun.