Track

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Track, n. [OF. trac track of horses, mules, trace of animals; of Teutonic origin; cf.D. trek a drawing, trekken to draw, travel, march, MHG. trechen, pret. trach. Cf. Trick.].

•  A mark left by something that has passed along; as, the track, or wake, of a ship; the track of a meteor; the track of a sled or a wheel.  [1913 Webster]

  "The bright track of his fiery car."  [1913 Webster]
•  A mark or impression left by the foot, either of man or beast; trace; vestige; footprint.  [1913 Webster]

  "Far from track of men."  [1913 Webster]
•  The entire lower surface of the foot; -- said of birds, etc.  [1913 Webster]
•  A road; a beaten path.  [1913 Webster]

  "Behold Torquatus the same track pursue."  [1913 Webster]
•  Course; way; as, the track of a comet.  [1913 Webster]
•  A path or course laid out for a race, for exercise, etc.  [1913 Webster]
•  The permanent way; the rails.  [1913 Webster]
•  A tract or area, as of land.  Fuller.  [1913 Webster]

Track scale, a railway scale. See under Railway.

Track, v. t. 

•  To follow the tracks or traces of; to pursue by following the marks of the feet; to trace; to trail; as, to track a deer in the snow.  [1913 Webster]

  "It was often found impossible to track the robbers to their retreats among the hills and morasses."  [1913 Webster]
•  To draw along continuously, as a vessel, by a line, men or animals on shore being the motive power; to tow.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Track, n. & v.
--n.
1 a a mark or marks left by a person, animal, or thing in passing. b (in pl.) such marks esp. footprints.
2 a rough path, esp. one beaten by use.
3 a continuous railway line (laid three miles of track).
4 a a racecourse for horses, dogs, etc. b a prepared course for runners etc.
5 a a groove on a gramophone record. b a section of a gramophone record containing one song etc. (this side has six tracks). c a lengthwise strip of magnetic tape containing one sequence of signals.
6 a a line of travel, passage, or motion (followed the track of the hurricane; America followed in the same track). b the path travelled by a ship, aircraft, etc. (cf. COURSE n. 2c).
7 a continuous band round the wheels of a tank, tractor, etc.
8 the transverse distance between a vehicle's wheels.
9 = SOUNDTRACK.
10 a line of reasoning or thought (this track proved fruitless).
--v.
1 tr. follow the track of (an animal, person, spacecraft, etc.).
2 tr. make out (a course, development, etc.); trace by vestiges.
3 intr. (often foll. by back, in, etc.) (of a film or television camera) move in relation to the subject being filmed.
4 intr. (of wheels) run so that the back ones are exactly in the track of the front ones.
5 intr. (of a gramophone stylus) follow a groove.
6 tr. US a make a track with (dirt etc.) from the feet. b leave such a track on (a floor etc.).

Idiom

in one's tracks colloq. where one stands, there and then (stopped him in his tracks). keep (or lose) track of follow (or fail to follow) the course or development of. make tracks colloq. go or run away. make tracks for colloq. go in pursuit of or towards. off the track away from the subject. on a person's track
1 in pursuit of him or her.
2 in possession of a clue to a person's conduct, plans, etc. on the wrong side of (or across) the tracks colloq. in an inferior or dubious part of town. on the wrong (or right) track following the wrong (or right) line of inquiry. track down reach or capture by tracking. track events running-races as opposed to jumping etc. (cf. field events). tracking station an establishment set up to track objects in the sky. track-laying (of a vehicle) having a caterpillar tread. track record a person's past performance or achievements. track shoe a spiked shoe worn by a runner. track suit a loose warm suit worn by an athlete etc. for exercising or jogging. track system US streaming in education. track with Austral. sl. associate with, court.

Derivative

trackage US n.

Track, v.
1 tr. tow (a boat) by rope etc. from a bank.
2 intr. travel by being towed.

Etymology

app. f. Du. trekken to draw etc., assim. to TRACK(1)

THESAURUS

Track

L, Rugby, a reckoning of, account of, acrobatics, afterclap, aftercrop, aftereffect, afterglow, aftergrowth, afterimage, aftermath, aftertaste, agonistics, aim, air lane, alameda, alley, apprehend, archery ground, artery, association football, athletic field, athletics, attend, automobile racing, avenue, azimuth, backwash, badminton court, baseball field, basketball court, bathing, bearing, beat, beaten path, beaten track, bent, berm, bicycle path, billiard parlor, birthmark, blackhead, bleb, blemish, blister, boardwalk, boulevard, bowling alley, bowling green, branch, bridle path, broad hint, bulla, bureaucracy, bureaucratism, cable railway, capture, catch, catwalk, chase, check, check of, chinoiserie, cicatrix, circuit, class, clue, cog railway, come after, comedo, condensation trail, contrail, count of, course, court, cover, crack, crater, craze, cricket ground, croquet ground, croquet lawn, cue, current, daily grind, defacement, defect, deformation, deformity, diamond, direction, direction line, disfiguration, disfigurement, displace, distortion, do, dog, dog racing, drag, drift, drive, el, electric railway, elevated, elevated railway, emanate, embankment, ensue, esplanade, fairway, falcon, fastwalk, fault, feeder, feeder line, ferret out, field, find, flaw, flight path, flush, follow, follow a clue, follow after, follow the hounds, follow up, foot pavement, football field, footpath, footprints, footstep, footway, forget, form, fowl, freckle, garden path, gentle hint, gesture, glaciarium, glimmer, glimmering, go after, go hunting, golf course, golf links, grade, gravity-operated railway, gridiron, grind, groove, gun, gym, gymnasium, gymnastics, hawk, heading, helmsmanship, hemangioma, hickey, highway, hiking trail, hint, horse racing, horse railway, hound, hunt, hunt down, ice rink, implication, impress, imprint, inclination, index, indication, infield, inkling, innuendo, insinuation, intimation, issue, itinerary, jack, jacklight, jog trot, junction, keep track of, keep up on, keep up with, keloid, kick, kink, lay, lentigo, lie, light railroad, line, line of direction, line of march, links, look, lose, lose sight of, lose track of, main line, mall, mark, measure, metro, milium, mislay, misplace, mole, monitor, monorail, natation, navigation, needle scar, nevus, nod, nose, nose out, nudge, orbit, orientation, outfield, oval, overpass, oversee, overtake, palaestra, parade, pass over, pass through, path, pathway, patrol, perambulate, peregrinate, pererrate, piloting, pimple, piste, pit, playground, playing field, playroom, ply, pock, pockmark, point, polo ground, pool hall, poolroom, port-wine mark, port-wine stain, prado, primrose path, print, prints, promenade, prompt, prowl after, public walk, pursue, pustule, putting green, quarter, racecourse, racing, rack railway, rack-and-pinion railway, racket court, rail, rail line, railroad, rails, railway, range, range over, reconnoiter, record, red tape, red-tapeism, replace, result, ride to hounds, rift, rink, road, roadbed, roadway, round, route, routine, rugger, run, run down, run to earth, runway, rut, scab, scar, scent, scour, scour the country, scout, scratch, sea lane, sebaceous cyst, seek out, set, shadow, shikar, shoot, shortcut, sidetrack, sidewalk, siding, sign, signal, signs, skating rink, slot, smell out, sniff out, soccer, soccer field, split, spoor, sport, sports, squash court, squirrel cage, stalk, start, steerage, steering, step, still-hunt, strawberry mark, street, street railway, streetcar line, stretch, sty, subway, succeed, suggestion, supervene, supervise, suspicion, sweep, swimming, switchback, symptom, tabs of, tail, tally of, telltale, tendency, tennis court, tenor, terminal, terminus, the turf, thoroughfare, tour, towing path, towpath, trace, trace down, traces, track, track and field, track down, track of, track sports, tract, trade route, trail, traject, trajectory, trajet, tram, tramline, transit, travel over, travel through, traverse, tread, treadmill, trend, trestle, trolley line, trottoir, trunk, trunk line, tube, tumbling, turf, turnout, twist, underground, vapor trail, verruca, vesicle, vestige, voyage, wake, wale, walk, walkway, warp, wart, wash, watch, way, weal, well-worn groove, welt, wen, whisper, whitehead, wink

ROGET THESAURUS

Track

Method

N method, way, manner, wise, gait, form, mode, fashion, tone, guise, modus operandi, MO, procedure, path, road, route, course, line of way, line of road, trajectory, orbit, track, beat, tack, steps, stair, staircase, flight of stairs, ladder, stile, perron, bridge, footbridge, viaduct, pontoon, steppingstone, plank, gangway, drawbridge, pass, ford, ferry, tunnel, pipe, door, gateway, channel, passage, avenue, means of access, approach, adit, artery, lane, loan, alley, aisle, lobby, corridor, back-door, back-stairs, secret passage, covert way, vennel, roadway, pathway, stairway, express, thoroughfare, highway, turnpike, freeway, royal road, coach road, broad highway, King's highway, Queen's highway, beaten track, beaten path, horse road, bridle road, bridle track, bridle path, walk, trottoir, footpath, pavement, flags, sidewalk, crossroad, byroad, bypath, byway, cut, short cut carrefour, private road, occupation road, highways and byways, railroad, railway, tram road, tramway, towpath, causeway, canal, street, speedway, adv, how, in what way, in what manner, by what mode, so, in this way, after this fashion, one way or another, anyhow, somehow or other, by way of, via, in transitu, on the high road to, hae tibi erunt artes.

Inquiry

VB make inquiry, inquire, ask, seek, search, look for, look about for, look out for, scan, reconnoiter, explore, sound, rummage, ransack, pry, peer, look round, look over, go over, look through, go through, spy, overhaul, ask about, inquire about, scratch the head, slap the forehead, look into every hole and corner, peer into every hole and corner, pry into every hole and corner, nose, trace up, search out, hunt down, hunt out, fish out, ferret out, unearth, leave no stone unturned, seek a clue, seek a clew, hunt, track, trail, mouse, dodge, trace, follow the trail, follow the scent, pursue, beat up one's quarters, fish for, feel for, investigate, take up an inquiry, institute an inquiry, pursue an inquiry, follow up an inquiry, conduct an inquiry, carry on an inquiry, carry out an inquiry, prosecute an inquiry, look at, look into, preexamine, discuss, canvass, agitate, examine, study, consider, calculate, dip into, dive into, delve into, go deep into, make sure of, probe, sound, fathom, probe to the bottom, probe to the quick, scrutinize, analyze, anatomize, dissect, parse, resolve, sift, winnow, view in all its phases, try in all its phases, thresh out, bring in question, bring into question, subject to examination, put to the proof, audit, tax, pass in review, take into consideration, take counsel, question, demand, put the question, pop the question, propose the question, propound the question, moot the question, start the question, raise the question, stir the question, suggest the question, put forth the question, ventilate the question, grapple with the question, go into a question, question, put to the question, interrogate, pump, subject to interrogation, subject to examination, cross-question, cross-examine, press for an answer, give the third degree, put to the inquisition, dodge, catechize, require an answer, pick the brains of, suck the brains of, feel the pulse, get the lay of the land, see how the wind is blowing, put one's ear to the ground, be in question, undergo examination.