# train

/ˈtɹeɪn/ (US) · /tɹˈeɪn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/train
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. rail transport

noun · CEFR A1

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

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

- The train to the city was late because of the heavy snow.
- Commuters waited on the platform as the high-speed train pulled into the station exactly on schedule.

### 2. part of a dress

noun · CEFR B2

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

For teachers: the elongated trailing portion of a skirt or robe.

- The bride needed help carrying the long train of her wedding dress.
- The velvet train of the queen's coronation gown extended several metres behind her as she walked down the aisle.

### 3. sequence of thoughts/events

noun · CEFR B2

a connected series of events, ideas, or things.

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

- The loud noise made me lose my train of thought while I was speaking.
- The discovery set off a long train of events that eventually led to a complete change in government policy.

### 4. to teach or learn a skill

verb · CEFR A2

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

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

- She is training her new puppy to sit and stay.
- The company spent thousands of pounds to train their staff on the new software system.

### 5. physical exercise

verb · CEFR A2

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

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

- He is training hard for the marathon next month.
- Professional athletes often train twice a day to maintain their peak physical condition during the season.

### 6. computing

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

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

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

- They used millions of images to train the AI to recognize faces.
- The researchers required significant computational power to train the neural network on such a massive dataset.

### 7. horticulture

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

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

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

- We trained the roses to grow along the wooden fence.
- By carefully pruning the lateral shoots, the gardener trained the grapevine to cover the entire trellis.

## Examples

- The train arrives at the station.
- We took the morning train to the city for our meeting.
- The overnight train wound its way through the mountains, its whistle a lonely sound in the vast, sleeping landscape.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.