ENGLISH
REFERENCE

track

n. · v.
US //ˈtɹæk// UK //tɹˈæk// track
  1. 1 a mark or footprint (n.)
    A2 Elementary

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

    a mark, footprint, or rut left by the passage of a person, animal, or vehicle.

    Example

    We followed the deer tracks through the fresh snow in the woods.

    Example

    The heavy rainfall had partially obscured the tire tracks, making it difficult for the investigators to determine the vehicle's direction of travel.
  2. 2 a path or road (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    a rough path or road, often made by people or animals walking there.

    a rough, unpaved path or road typically formed by the repeated passage of people, animals, or vehicles.

    Example

    The dirt track led us away from the main road and toward the farm.

    Example

    The hikers abandoned the paved road for a narrow mountain track that promised a more direct route to the summit.
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  1. 3 railway (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    the metal rails that a train travels on.

    the pair of parallel metal rails over which a train or tram runs.

    Example

    The train stopped because there was a fallen tree on the track.

    Example

    Maintenance crews worked through the night to repair a section of the track that had buckled during the extreme summer heatwave.
  2. 4 sports circuit (n.)
    A2 Elementary Sport

    a special circular path used for races, like running or cycling.

    a prepared circuit or course, typically oval, used for athletes, horses, or vehicles in competitive racing.

    Example

    The runners lined up on the track for the final race of the day.

    Example

    The new stadium features a high-performance synthetic track designed to reduce the impact on athletes' joints during long-distance events.
  3. 5 a song (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Music

    one song or piece of music on a CD, record, or digital album.

    a single song or piece of music recorded on a larger collection such as an album or digital playlist.

    Example

    My favorite track on the new album is the slow acoustic song.

    Example

    The producer decided to remix the third track to give it a more contemporary electronic feel before the album's official release.
  4. 6 to follow or monitor (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to follow the progress or movement of someone or something.

    to monitor the progress, development, or physical movement of a subject over a period of time.

    Example

    You can use the app to track your package while it is being delivered.

    Example

    The research team used satellite tags to track the migration patterns of whales across the Pacific Ocean over several months.
  5. 7 to make sense (v.)
    C1 Advanced Informal

    to be easy to understand or to match what you already know.

    to be consistent with known facts or to follow a logical progression.

    Example

    His story doesn't really track with what the other witnesses said.

    Example

    The financial data simply doesn't track with the projected growth figures, suggesting a significant error in the initial accounting process.

    Usage

    Usually used in the negative ('doesn't track') to indicate a logical inconsistency.
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.

Word family
Idioms3 entries

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