TRAIN | English Meaning, Definition, and Pronunciation

late Middle English: from Old French train (masculine), traine (feminine), from trahiner (verb), from Latin trahere ‘pull, draw’. Early noun senses were ‘trailing part of a robe’ and ‘retinue’; the latter gave rise to ‘line of travelling people or vehicles’, later ‘a connected series of things’. The early verb sense ‘cause a plant to grow in a desired shape’ was the basis of the sense ‘instruct’

teach (a person or animal) a particular skill or type of behaviour through practice and instruction over a period of time

teach person or animal particular skill or type of behaviour

• the scheme trains people for promotion
• the dogs are trained to sniff out illegal stowaways

point or aim something, typically a gun or camera, at

point or aim something at

• the detective trained his gun on the side door

go by train

go by train

• Charles trained to London with Emma

entice (someone).

entice

a series of connected railway carriages or wagons moved by a locomotive or by integral motors

series of connected railway carriages or wagons

• a freight train
• the journey took two hours by train

a number of vehicles or pack animals moving in a line

several vehicles or pack animals moving in line

• a camel train

a long piece of material attached to the back of a formal dress or robe that trails along the ground

long piece of material attached to back of dress or robe

• the bride wore a cream silk dress with a train

a trail of gunpowder for firing an explosive charge.

trail of gunpowder for firing explosive charge