train

[ treyn ]

/ treɪn /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR train ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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

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

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

a series or row of objects or parts.

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

order, especially proper order: Matters were in good train.

something that is drawn along; a trailing part.

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

a trail or stream of something from a moving object.

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

a body of followers or attendants; retinue.

a series of proceedings, events, ideas, etc.

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

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

Astronomy.

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

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

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

verb (used with object)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

to entice; allure.

verb (used without object)

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

to undergo discipline and instruction, drill, etc.

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

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

Nearby words

trailing phlox, trailing vortex drag, trailman, trailside, trailsman, train, train of thought, train oil, train sickness, train smash, train spotter

Origin of train

1350–1400; (v.) late Middle English traynyn to pull or drag in the rear < Middle French trainer, Old French tra(h)iner < Vulgar Latin *tragīnāre, derivative of *tragīna something dragged or drawn (compare Medieval Latin tragīna carriage), derivative of *tragere to pull, for Latin trahere; (noun) Middle English train, traine < Old French tra(h)in (masculine) series of people, animals, or things, tra(h)ine (feminine) something dragged behind, both derivative of tra(h)iner

SYNONYMS FOR train

3 convoy.

6 array, arrangement.

10 file, column.

19 exercise, drill, practice, school.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR train ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

train·less, adjectivehalf-trained, adjectivemin·i·train, nounmis·train, verb

non·trained, adjectiveo·ver·train, verbpre·train, verb (used with object)self-trained, adjectivesem·i·trained, adjectivesu·per·train, verbun·der·train, verb (used with object)un·der·trained, adjectiveun·trained, adjectivewell-trained, adjective

Synonym study

18, 19. See teach.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for trained

This is how many public safety officers are trained nowadays.
Red Tape Is Strangling Good Samaritans|Philip K. Howard|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We have reached a tipping point in the culture where Americans are now trained to look to the rules instead of their own judgment.
Red Tape Is Strangling Good Samaritans|Philip K. Howard|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Her daughter, Elaina, 24, a trained costume designer and makeup artist, helps out by sewing clothes.
Inside A Finishing School for Transwomen|Sharon Adarlo|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sabrine is a trained lawyer, likely a helpful quality when your task is to push politicians.
A Sunni-Shia Love Story Imperiled by al Qaeda|Ruth Michaelson|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST

To them, this is the most personal of relationships, so the small tribute is just to cover basic expenses for them to be trained.
Dungeons and Genital Clamps: Inside a Legendary BDSM Chateau|Ian Frisch|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Then even when it is trained to high ideals it is still looking out for its own contentment, and not for the man's good?
What Is Man? And Other Stories|Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
Chariot-horses were trained to three paces, a walk, a trot, and a gallop.
The Seven Great Monarchies Of The Ancient Eastern World, Vol 2. (of 7): Assyria|George Rawlinson
Monsieur, Alphonse was never deaf, and he has trained his ears to catch the sound of bare feet.
Under the Chinese Dragon|F. S. Brereton
Her demeanour could not have been more impeccable had she been trained in a French convent.
The Morals of Marcus Ordeyne|William J. Locke
You see, she had been trained as a rope-dancer in her childhood, and afterwards she was on the stage for a time.
The Laughing Mill and Other Stories|Julian Hawthorne

British Dictionary definitions for trained

train

/ (treɪn) /

verb

(tr) to guide or teach (to do something), as by subjecting to various exercises or experiencesto train a man to fight

(tr) to control or guide towards a specific goalto train a plant up a wall

(intr) to do exercises and prepare for a specific purposethe athlete trained for the Olympics

(tr) to improve or curb by subjecting to disciplineto train the mind

(tr) to focus or bring to bear (on something)to train a telescope on the moon

noun

a line of coaches or wagons coupled together and drawn by a railway locomotive
(as modifier)a train ferry

a sequence or series, as of events, thoughts, etca train of disasters

a procession of people, vehicles, etc, travelling together, such as one carrying supplies of ammunition or equipment in support of a military operation

a series of interacting parts through which motion is transmitteda train of gears

a fuse or line of gunpowder to an explosive charge, etc

something drawn along, such as the long back section of a dress that trails along the floor behind the wearer

a retinue or suite

proper order or course

Derived Formstrainable, adjectivetrainless, adjective

Word Origin for train

C14: from Old French trahiner, from Vulgar Latin tragīnāre (unattested) to draw; related to Latin trahere to drag

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

Word Origin and History for trained (1 of 2)

train

early 14c., "a drawing out, delay," later "trailing part of a skirt" (mid-15c.), also "retinue, procession" (mid-15c.), from Old French train (fem. traine), from trainer "to pull, draw," from Vulgar Latin *traginare, extended from *tragere "to pull," back-formation from tractus, past participle of Latin trahere "to pull, draw" (see tract (n.1)).

Train of thought first attested 1650s. The railroad sense is recorded from 1820 (publication year, dated 1816), from notion of a "train" of wagons or carriages pulled by a mechanical engine.

Word Origin and History for trained (1 of 2)

train

"instruct, discipline, teach," 1540s, probably from earlier sense of "draw out and manipulate in order to bring to a desired form" (late 14c.), specifically of the growth of branches, vines, etc. from mid-15c.; from train (n.). The meaning "to travel by railway" is recorded from 1856. Related: Trained; training.

Idioms and Phrases with trained

train

In addition to the idiom beginning with train

train of thought

also see:

gravy train

train

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

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RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of train

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for trained

British Dictionary definitions for trained

train

verb

noun

Word Origin for train

Word Origin and History for trained (1 of 2)

train

Word Origin and History for trained (1 of 2)

train

Idioms and Phrases with trained

train