trainer

noun

train·​er ˈtrā-nər 

1

: a person who trains someone or something: such as

a

: one whose occupation is to guide or instruct people in fitness and exercise routines

a personal trainer

When we run the track, Stan Ward, a boxing and conditioning trainer, times us.

—Bridgett Riley

b

: one who oversees the training of animals

a dog/horse trainer

A trainer uses the clicker to create an auditory cue that marks a particular behavior and then rewards the dog with a treat.

—C. C. Holland

2

: a person who treats the ailments and minor injuries of the members of an athletic team

… he landed so hard that the wind was knocked out of him. He lay writhing on the ground as Herm Schneider, the team trainer, rushed to his side.

—William Nack

3

: something (such as a machine or vehicle) used in training see also elliptical trainer

4

chiefly British : sneaker sense 2

They wore trainers, scuffed and old, with the laces loose and the tongues protruding in defiance at the ankle.

—M. J. Trow

Synonyms

• coach

Examples of trainer in a Sentence

the boxer and his trainer

She hired a personal trainer.

Recent Examples on the Web

The dog’s owner Jubel Chen works as an animal trainer for Guin’s Movie Menagerie, and told PEOPLE that she was handed the tiny pup during a shoot in downtown Los Angeles around Christmas 2017. —Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 26 Apr. 2024

The actor looked much different from his usual self on Tuesday, April 23, in character for his role as boxer Prince Naseem Hamed's trainer, Brendan Ingle, in the upcoming sports drama Giant. —Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 25 Apr. 2024

In addition to the actors who portray characters such as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Cinderella and Prince Charming in the parks and nearby hotels, Magic United includes hosts, trainers, leads and other workers who support them. —Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2024

The trainer was in her studio at the time and pulled up the lottery website to see where the ticket was sold. —Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2024

Hicks got into trouble in the second with a walk to Jesse Winker — during which trainer Dave Groeschner and Melvin checked on him to see if something was amiss — and a pitch-clock violation walk to Gallo. —Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2024

Historians estimate Black drovers, trainers, breeders, and herders—who were collectively referred to as cowboys—made up as much as a quarter of working ranch hands during the heyday of open-range ranching in the second half of the 19th century. —TIME, 12 Apr. 2024

Her target was not a national political figure, but a Dallas-area horse trainer, Ellen Doughty, who Daniels claimed had mistreated her animals. —Peter Jamison, Washington Post, 12 Apr. 2024

But many of these jobs are traditionally filled by teenagers as a valuable skill trainer. —Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1543, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing trainer

• athletic trainer
• cross-trainer
• elliptical trainer

Kids Definition

trainer

noun

train·​er ˈtrān-ər 

1

: one that trains

2

: a person who treats the minor ailments and injuries of the members of an athletic team