trail

trail1 [ treıl ] noun count **

▸ 1 path in countryside

▸ 2 series of marks/objects

▸ 3 damage/harm

▸ 4 connected evidence

▸ 5 series of activities

▸ + PHRASES

1. ) a path through the countryside, especially one designed for walking for pleasure:

The trail led down to the lake.

follow a trail: We were following the winding trail into the mountains.

2. ) a series of marks or objects left by someone or something that shows they have been there:

trail of: a trail of blood

leave a trail: He left a trail of muddy footprints.

follow a trail: We followed the trail of ribbon he had tied to the trees.

a ) a smell or series of marks left by an animal:

follow a trail: Dogs can follow a bear's trail for several miles.

3. ) trail of damage or harm caused by something bad:

Hurricane Andrew left a trail of destruction along the coast.

a ) a series of bad or harmful events:

a trail of murders/robberies

4. ) many pieces of connected evidence that prove someone did something wrong or illegal:

The trail of missing funds led investigators directly to Wang.

on the trail of someone: Detectives are on the trail of a serial killer.

=> PAPER TRAIL

5. ) MAINLY JOURNALISM a series of activities that you do in order to achieve something:

the campaign/election trail: The usual pack of reporters were following Bush on the campaign trail.

hit the trail (=begin to try to achieve something): With their latest victory, the Yankees have clearly hit the pennant trail.

blaze a trail

1. ) to go to a place where no one has gone before

2. ) to discover something new

(hot) on the trail of

very close to finding someone or discovering something

trail

trail 2 [ treıl ] verb **

▸ 1 be losing in competition

▸ 2 pull something behind you

▸ 3 move slowly

▸ 4 follow someone

▸ 5 leave marks etc.

▸ 6 when something hangs down

▸ + PHRASES

1. ) intransitive or transitive MAINLY JOURNALISM to be losing in a competition or election:

A recent poll shows the Democrats trailing the Republicans.

trail by: At the end of the round, Garcia trailed by two strokes.

2. ) intransitive or transitive to pull something behind you, or be pulled behind someone or something:

Trailing his coat in the dirt, he turned toward home.

3. ) intransitive trail after/behind/around to move slowly and in a tired or unhappy way, often so that you are a short distance behind other people:

My husband usually trails glumly behind me when I shop.

4. ) transitive to follow someone secretly in order to learn something about them:

Detectives trailed Evans for weeks.

5. ) transitive to leave marks on a surface or a substance in the air as you go through a place:

The dogs came in, trailing mud everywhere.

a jeep trailing clouds of dust

a ) intransitive trail across/over/along if a line of marks or long thin objects trail across a place, they are left there by someone or something:

Old cables and wires trailed across the garden.

6. ) intransitive or transitive if something trails somewhere, it hangs down from something:

geraniums trailing from terra-cotta pots

,trail a`way or ,trail `off phrasal verb intransitive

if someone's voice or words trail away or trail off, they gradually become silent:

Her voice trailed off as she realized he wasn't listening.