I. ˈtrān noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English trayne, treyne, from Middle French traine, from Old French, from traïr to betray, from Latin tradere to betray, deliver — more at traitor
1. obsolete
a. : a scheme to deceive or betray : artifice , trick
b. : guile , treachery , trickery
2. obsolete : a trap for an animal : snare
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English traynen, treynen, from trayne, treyne, n.
1. : to draw by artifice or stratagem : decoy , entice , lure
2. : attract , persuade , win
III. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English trayn, trayne, from Middle French train action of drawing, trail, train of a dress, procession of animals or vehicles, from Old French, from trainer to draw, drag — more at train IV
1.
a. : the extended part of a skirt, gown, or state robe that lies on the floor and trails behind the wearer
b. : an animal's tail ; especially : the trailing tail feathers of a peacock
c. : the moving length of something (as a serpent or a stream)
d. : the luminous trail or tail of a meteor or comet sometimes persisting in the sky for several seconds or minutes after the meteor or comet itself has passed
2.
a. : the retinue or suite of a person of rank or consequence : following
he is bringing a staff of 80 in his train — Sydney (Australia) Bulletin
b. : a line or file of persons and often vehicles or animals proceeding together
the little train of silent people carried her out … to the family burying ground — Margaret Deland
: caravan
a camel train
3.
a. : an organization of military vehicles, men, and sometimes animals that furnishes supply, maintenance, and evacuation services to a combat unit — compare field train
b. : the auxiliary ships assigned to supply and support a naval fleet or force
4.
a. : proper arrangement or disposition : order designed or contrived to lead to some result
was already in fair train to develop party out of faction — Learned Hand
the mathematics set in train by these two pledges will force a reduction of the total armed forces — New Statesman & Nation
b. : a controlled or directed procedure : method , process , way
things proceeded in this train for several days — T.L.Peacock
c. : a line, course, or sequence of thoughts, actions, or events : an orderly succession : a connected series
the train of years sped swiftly by — W.F.Brown b. 1903
his mind still upon his own train of thought — Agnes S. Turnbull
d. : a set or progression of consequent or attendant events or conditions : a series of results or accompanying circumstances : aftermath , sequel
in the train of peace came industry and all the arts of life — T.B.Macaulay
5.
a. : a line of black powder or other explosive laid to lead fire to a charge : fuse
b. : a line of carrion pieces laid as a lure for game
6. obsolete
a. : the path followed by a horse
b. : the kind of travel experienced by a horse
c. : manege , control
d. : a horse's gait
7. : a series of moving machine parts (as gears, links, cams, chain drives, or belt drives) for transmitting and modifying motion
the train of a watch connects the barrel with the escapement
gear train
the valve train of an automobile engine
8.
a. : a connected line of railroad cars with or without a locomotive ; also : an engine or motorcar with or without other engines or cars that displays markers
b. : an automotive tractor with one or more trailer units
the number of truck-and-trailer trains has multiplied six or seven times in recent years — R.L.Neuberger
9. : a long narrow geological deposit (as of gravel) ; especially : one composed of glaciofluvial sand and gravel extending down a valley far beyond the terminus of a glacier — called also valley train
10. : a succession of physical oscillations or disturbances
earthquake waves run in … trains — R.A.Daly
the vibrations of a tuning fork cause a train of sound waves to pass through the atmosphere
11.
a. : a series of connected pieces of chemical apparatus
b. : a series of vats or large bowls for scouring wool
12. : roll train
13. : a series of bombs dropped from an airplane one after another in close succession — sometimes used in the phrase in train
IV. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English traynen, from Middle French trainer, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin traginare; akin to Latin trahere to pull, draw, drag — more at draw
transitive verb
1.
a. : to draw along : drag , trail
when a whale is harpooned … he trains with him the bold little creature who, greatly daring, has flung the fatal weapon — Francis Hackett
b. : to draw out : protract
2. : to grow (a plant) in a manner designed to produce a desired form or effect usually by bending, tying, and pruning ; especially : to cause to grow symmetrically (as in an espalier or against a wall) by such means
training fruit trees as espaliers against a sheltering wall
3.
a. : to instruct or drill in habits of thought or action : shape or develop the character of by discipline or precept
train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it — Prov 22:6 (Revised Standard Version)
b.
(1) : to teach or exercise (someone) in an art, profession, trade, or occupation : direct in attaining a skill : give instruction to
trained several generations of field and track athletes
trained him in the law
(2) : to cause (as judgment) to be disciplined : cultivate
perhaps we can train our taste — Virginia Woolf
: develop skill or habits in
trained his hand to a patternmaker's delicate touch
c. : to teach (an animal) to obey commands
4. : to aim or point at an object : bring to bear
kept the shotgun trained on him — F.B.Gipson
had trained his news camera on celebrities for 40 years
trained his spotlight on the creative artist — W.F.Kerr
5. : to adapt (a microorganism) to utilize a nutrient or to grow in an environment not normally suitable (as by continued exposure to such nutrient or environment)
intransitive verb
1. : drag , trail
her skirt trained on the ground
2.
a. : to undergo instruction, discipline, or drill
recruits were training in army camps all over the nation
trained in a nearby hospital for a nursing career
b. : to undertake an athlete's conditioning regimen of exercise, practice, and diet
many baseball teams train each spring in the South
3. : to move in company : associate — used with with
has always trained with the moderates
4. : to travel by rail : go by train
had planed, trained, and driven 1500 miles — Paul Gallico
Synonyms: see teach
V. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English trane, from Middle Dutch traen, trane fluid, drop, tear, train oil or Middle Low German trān; akin to Old Saxon trahni, plural, tears, Old High German trahan tear, zahar tear — more at tear
archaic : train oil