sidetrack

[ sahyd-trak ]
/ ˈsaɪdˌtræk /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR sidetrack ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with or without object)

to move from the main track to a siding, as a train.
to move or distract from the main subject or course.

noun

any railroad track, other than a siding, auxiliary to the main track.

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of sidetrack

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35; side1 + track

Words nearby sidetrack

sidesplitting, sidestep, sidestream smoke, sidestroke, sideswipe, sidetrack, sidewalk, sidewalk artist, sidewalk sale, sidewalk superintendent, sidewalking
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to sidetrack

swerve, avert, veer, switch, deflect, digress, alter, change, redirect

Example sentences from the Web for sidetrack

British Dictionary definitions for sidetrack

sidetrack
/ (ˈsaɪdˌtræk) /

verb

to distract or be distracted from a main subject or topic

noun

US and Canadian a railway siding
the act or an instance of sidetracking; digression
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012