Trail , n.
1. A track
left by man
or beast; a
track followed by the hunter; a
scent on the ground by
the animal pursued; as, a deer trail.
They traveled in the bed of the brook,
leaving no dangerous trail.
Cooper. How cheerfully on the false
trail they cry!
Shak. 2.
A footpath or road track
through a wilderness or wild region; as, an Indian
trail over the plains.
3. Anything drawn out to a length; as, the trail of a meteor; a trail of smoke.
When lightning shoots in glittering
trails along.
Rowe.
4. Anything drawn behind in long undulations; a train. "A
radiant trail of hair." Pope.
5. Anything drawn along, as a vehicle. [Obs.]
6.
A frame for trailing plants; a trellis. [Obs.]
7. The entrails of a
fowl, especially of game, as the woodcock, and the like;
-- applied also, sometimes, to the entrails of sheep.
The woodcock
is a favorite with epicures, and served with its trail in, is a delicious dish.
Baird. 8. (Mil.) That part of
the stock of a gun carriage which rests on the ground
when the piece is unlimbered. See Illust. of Gun carriage, under Gun.
9. The act of taking
advantage of the ignorance of a person; an imposition. [Prov.
Eng.]
Trail boards (Shipbuilding), the
carved boards on both sides of the cutwater near the figurehead. -- Trail net, a net that is trailed or drawn behind a boat. Wright.
Trail (?), v. i. 1. To
be drawn out in length; to follow after.
When his brother saw the red blood
trail.
Spenser.
2. To grow to great
length, especially when slender and creeping upon the ground, as a plant; to run
or climb.
Trail (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Trailed (?);
p. pr. & vb. n.
Trailing.]
[OE. trailen, OF. trailler to trail a deer,
or hunt him
upon a cold
scent, also, to hunt or pursue him with a limehound, F. trailler to trail a fishing line; probably from a derivative of L. trahere to draw; cf. L.
traha a drag, sledge, tragula a kind of drag
net, a small
sledge, Sp. trailla a leash, an instrument for leveling the ground, D. treilen to draw with
a rope, to tow, treil a rope for drawing a boat. See Trace, v. t.]
1. To hunt by the track; to
track. Halliwell.
2. To draw or drag,
as along the ground.
And hung his head, and
trailed his legs along.
Dryden.
They shall not trail me through their streets
Like a wild beast.
Milton.
Long behind he trails his pompous robe.
Pope. 3. (Mil.)
To carry, as 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.
4. To tread down, as grass, by walking through it; to lay flat. Longfellow.
5.
To take advantage of the ignorance of; to impose
upon. [Prov. Eng.]
I presently perceived she was (what
is vernacularly termed)
trailing Mrs. Dent; that is,
playing on her ignorance.
C. Bronte.
T" rail` (?). See under T.
Hear it pronounced