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 flown
4 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 travels
6 : 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