ENGLISH
REFERENCE

track

n. countable
A2 Elementary Oxford US //ˈtɹæk// UK //tɹˈæk// track General-service Informal Slang

n. a path or road made for people or animals to walk on. It can also mean a single song on a music album or a line that trains travel on.

n. a rough path or road, typically one beaten by use rather than constructed; also refers to a single recorded piece of music or a pair of parallel rails for trains.


SIMPLE

We followed a narrow track through the forest.

CONTEXTUAL

The band's new album features a hidden track that starts after five minutes of silence.

COMPLEX

The athlete maintained a steady pace around the oval track, aware that the final lap would require a significant burst of speed to secure a podium finish.

Synonyms
Origin

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.

Usage

Commonly used with 'on' when referring to progress ('on track') or physical location ('on the track').

Idioms3 entries

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