track

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A path or rough road.

   Follow the track for a hundred metres until you reach the farm.

2. 2
   noun

   A mark left on the ground by a person, animal, or vehicle.

   The fox tracks were still visible in the snow.

3. 3
   noun

   A course laid out for running, racing, or exercise.

   The athletes ran around the track.

4. 4
   verb

   To follow the movement or progress of someone or something.

   The app lets you track your delivery in real time.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Track appeared in the 15th century and may come from the same Dutch source as trek. Its earliest meaning was a mark or trail left by a person, animal, or vehicle. The word was first applied to railway lines in the early 19th century.

From Middle English trak, tracke, from Old French trac (“track of horses, trail, trace”), of uncertain origin. Likely from a Germanic source, either Old Norse traðk ("a track; path; trodden spot"; > Icelandic traðk (“a track; path; tread”), Faroese traðk (“track; tracks”), Norwegian tråkke (“to trample”)) or from Middle Dutch trec, *trac, treck ("line, row, series"; > Dutch trek (“a draft; feature; trait; groove; expedition”)), German Low German Treck (“a draught; movement; passage; flow”). See tread, trek.

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary