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track

/ˈtɹæk/ noun

In Latin: vestīgium Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about track at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  1. A line or route along which something travels or moves.
    the hurricane demolished houses in its path
  2. Evidence pointing to a possible solution.
    the police are following a promising lead
  3. A pair of parallel rails providing a runway for wheels.

verb

  1. Carry on the feet and deposit.
    track mud into the house
  2. Observe or plot the moving path of something.
    track a missile
  3. Go after with the intent to catch.
    The policeman chased the mugger down the alley

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.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)