train

—trainless, adj.

/trayn/, n.

1. Railroads. a self-propelled, connected group of rolling stock.

2. a line or procession of persons, vehicles, animals, etc., traveling together.

3. Mil. an aggregation of vehicles, animals, and personnel accompanying an army to carry supplies, baggage, ammunition, etc.

4. a series or row of objects or parts.

5. Mach. a connected set of three or more rotating elements, usually gears, through which force is transmitted, or motion or torque changed.

6. order, esp. proper order: Matters were in good train.

7. something that is drawn along; a trailing part.

8. an elongated part of a skirt or robe trailing behind on the ground.

9. a trail or stream of something from a moving object.

10. a line or succession of persons or things following one after the other.

11. a body of followers or attendants; retinue.

12. a series of proceedings, events, ideas, etc.

13. the series of results or circumstances following or proceeding from an event, action, etc.; aftermath: Disease came in the train of war.

14. a succession of connected ideas; a course of reasoning: to lose one's train of thought.

15. Astron.

a. the trace of light created by a meteor falling through the earth's atmosphere.

b. the tail of a comet.

16. a line of combustible material, as gunpowder, for leading fire to an explosive charge.

17. Physics. a succession of wave fronts, oscillations, or the like.

v.t.

18. to develop or form the habits, thoughts, or behavior of (a child or other person) by discipline and instruction: to train an unruly boy.

19. to make proficient by instruction and practice, as in some art, profession, or work: to train soldiers.

20. to make (a person) fit by proper exercise, diet, practice, etc., as for an athletic performance.

21. to discipline and instruct (an animal), as in the performance of tasks or tricks.

22. to treat or manipulate so as to bring into some desired form, position, direction, etc.: to train one's hair to stay down.

23. Hort. to bring (a plant, branch, etc.) into a particular shape or position, by bending, pruning, or the like.

24. to bring to bear on some object; point, aim, or direct, as a firearm, camera, telescope, or eye.

25. to entice; allure.

v.i.

26. to give the discipline and instruction, drill, practice, etc., designed to impart proficiency or efficiency.

27. to undergo discipline and instruction, drill, etc.

28. to get oneself into condition for an athletic performance through exercise, diet, practice, etc.

29. to travel or go by train: to train to New York.

[1350-1400; (v.) late ME traynyn to pull or drag in the rear < MF trainer, OF tra(h)iner < VL *traginare, deriv. of *tragina something dragged or drawn (cf. ML tragina carriage), deriv. of *tragere to pull, for L trahere; (n.) ME train, traine < OF tra(h)in (masc.) series of people, animals, or things, tra(h)ine (fem.) something dragged behind, both deriv. of tra(h)iner]

Syn. 3. convoy. 6. array, arrangement. 10. file, column. 18, 19. See teach. 19. exercise, drill, practice, school.

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