ENGLISH
REFERENCE

train

n. · v.
US //ˈtɹeɪn// UK //tɹˈeɪn// train
  1. 1 rail transport (n.)
    A1 Beginner

    a long vehicle that travels on metal tracks and carries people or goods.

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

    Example

    The train to the city was late because of the heavy snow.

    Example

    Commuters waited on the platform as the high-speed train pulled into the station exactly on schedule.
    Pitfall
    I went to London with the train.
    I went to London by train.

    When talking about the method of transport, use 'by train'. Use 'on the train' only if you are talking about being inside the vehicle.

  2. 2 part of a dress (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    the long back part of a formal dress that trails on the floor behind the person.

    the elongated trailing portion of a skirt or robe.

    Example

    The bride needed help carrying the long train of her wedding dress.

    Example

    The velvet train of the queen's coronation gown extended several metres behind her as she walked down the aisle.
Show 5 more sensesShow fewer
  1. 3 sequence of thoughts/events (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a connected series of events, ideas, or things.

    a succession of connected ideas, events, or objects following one another in order.

    Example

    The loud noise made me lose my train of thought while I was speaking.

    Example

    The discovery set off a long train of events that eventually led to a complete change in government policy.
  2. 4 to teach or learn a skill (v.)
    A2 Elementary

    to teach a person or animal how to do something, or to practice a skill yourself.

    to impart skills or knowledge through systematic instruction and practice; also to undergo such a process.

    Example

    She is training her new puppy to sit and stay.

    Example

    The company spent thousands of pounds to train their staff on the new software system.
  3. 5 physical exercise (v.)
    A2 Elementary Sport

    to prepare for a sport or activity by exercising and practicing.

    to undergo a regimen of physical exercise and preparation, typically for a competitive event.

    Example

    He is training hard for the marathon next month.

    Example

    Professional athletes often train twice a day to maintain their peak physical condition during the season.
  4. 6 computing (v.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    to give data to a computer program so it can learn how to do a task.

    to provide a machine learning algorithm with a dataset to develop a predictive model.

    Example

    They used millions of images to train the AI to recognize faces.

    Example

    The researchers required significant computational power to train the neural network on such a massive dataset.

  5. 7 horticulture (v.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Horticulture

    to make a plant grow in a certain direction by tying or cutting it.

    to control the growth of a plant by pruning or fastening branches to a support.

    Example

    We trained the roses to grow along the wooden fence.

    Example

    By carefully pruning the lateral shoots, the gardener trained the grapevine to cover the entire trellis.
Etymology 1

From Middle English trayne (“train”), from Old French train (“a delay, a drawing out”), from traïner (“to pull out, to draw”), from Vulgar Latin traginō, from tragō, from Latin trahō (“to pull, to draw”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tregʰ- (“to pull, draw, drag”). The verb was derived from the noun in Middle English. For the meaning to teach compare typologically Russian ната́скивать (natáskivatʹ) (akin to тащи́ть (taščítʹ)).

Etymology 2

From Middle English trayne (“treachery”), from Anglo-Norman traine, Middle French traïne, from traïr (“to betray”).

Etymology 3

From Dutch traan (“tear, drop”), from Middle Dutch trâen, from Old Dutch trān, from Proto-Germanic *trahnuz. Compare German Träne (“tear”), Tran (“train oil”).

Word family
Idioms3 entries

© 2026 English Reference