Main Entry:

¹track

Pronunciation:

\ˈtrak\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English trak, from Middle French trac

Date:

15th century

1 a: detectable evidence (as the wake of a ship, a line of footprints, or a wheel rut) that something has passed b: a path made by or as if by repeated footfalls : trail c: a course laid out especially for racing d: the parallel rails of a railroad e (1): one of a series of parallel or concentric paths along which material (as music or information) is recorded (as on a phonograph record or magnetic tape) (2): a group of grooves on a phonograph record containing recorded sound (3): material recorded especially on or as if on a track <a laugh track> <instrumental tracks> <a bonus commentary track on a DVD> f: a usually metal way (as a groove) serving as a guide (as for a movable lighting fixture)2: a footprint whether recent or fossil <the huge track of a dinosaur>3 a: the course along which something moves or progresses b: a way of life, conduct, or action c: one of several curricula of study to which students are assigned according to their needs or levels of ability d: the projection on the earth's surface of the path along which something (as a missile or an airplane) has flown4 a: a sequence of events : a train of ideas : succession b: an awareness of a fact, progression, or condition <keep track of the costs> <lose track of the time>5 a: the width of a wheeled vehicle from wheel to wheel and usually from the outside of the rims b: the tread of an automobile tire c: either of two endless belts on which a tracklaying vehicle travels6: track-and-field sports ; especially : those performed on a running track

synonyms see trace

— track·less \ˈtrak-ləs\ adjective

— in one's tracks

: where one stands or is at the moment : on the spot <was stopped in his tracks>

— on track

: achieving or doing what is necessary or expected