track

1 of 2

noun

ˈtrak 

1

: a footprint whether recent or fossil

the huge track of a dinosaur

2

a

: detectable evidence (such 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)

: material recorded especially on or as if on a track

instrumental tracks

a bonus commentary track on a DVD

(2)

: one of a series of parallel or concentric paths along which material (such as music or information) is recorded (as on a phonograph record or magnetic tape)

(3)

: a group of grooves on a phonograph record containing recorded sound

f

: a usually metal way (such as a groove) serving as a guide (as for a movable lighting fixture)

3

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

4

: track-and-field sports

especially : those performed on a running track

5

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 (such as a missile or an airplane) has flown

6

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

trackless

ˈtrak-ləs 

adjective

track

2 of 2

verb

tracked; tracking; tracks

transitive verb

1

a

: to follow the tracks or traces of : trail

b

: to search for by following evidence until found

track down the source

2

a

: to follow by vestiges : trace

b

: to observe or plot the moving path of (something, such as a spacecraft or missile) often instrumentally

3

a

: to carry (mud or other material) on the feet and deposit

tracking mud into the kitchen

b

: to make tracks upon

4

: to keep track of (something, such as a trend) : follow

5

: to travel over : traverse

track a desert

intransitive verb

1

: travel

a comet tracking eastward

2

a of a pair of wheels

(1)

: to maintain a constant distance apart on the straightaway

(2)

: to fit a track or rails

b

of a rear wheel of a vehicle : to follow accurately the corresponding fore wheel on a straightaway

c

of a phonograph needle : to follow the groove undulations of a recording

3

: to leave tracks (as on a floor)

tracker noun

Phrases

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

Synonyms

Noun

• imprint
• trace
• trail

Verb

• bird-dog
• chase
• course
• dog
• follow
• hound
• pursue
• run
• shadow
• tag
• tail
• trace
• trail

Choose the Right Synonym for track

trace, vestige, track mean a perceptible sign made by something that has passed.

trace may suggest any line, mark, or discernible effect.

the killer left no traces

vestige applies to a tangible reminder such as a fragment or remnant of what is past and gone.

boulders that are vestiges of the last ice age

track implies a continuous line that can be followed.

the fossilized tracks of dinosaurs

Examples of track in a Sentence

Noun

Follow the track into the forest.

We were warned about walking beside the railroad tracks.

Verb

He tracked the deer for a mile.

The detectives tracked the killer to Arizona.

The ship can track incoming missiles with radar.

Meteorologists are tracking the storm.

The study tracked the patients over the course of five years.

The squadron will track north by northeast for 40 miles.

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Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The new track is an alt-rock song that’s dying to be screamed along to, with its blaring chorus and Barker’s signature sharp percussion. —Sadie Bell, Peoplemag, 23 Sep. 2023

The track features the group’s five original members—singer Ramesh Srivastava, bassist Jason Chronis, drummer Matt Simon, guitarist Mitch Calvert, and multi-instrumentalist Jared Van Fleet. —Evan Minsker, Pitchfork, 22 Sep. 2023

The track debuted and peaked at No. 31 on the Billboard Hot 100, and its music video — which previewed the era’s overarching horror aesthetic — picked up six nominations at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, ultimately winning best art direction. —Kyle Denis, Billboard, 22 Sep. 2023

This week, Doja Cat shows a softer side on the fifth single off her new album, Kylie Minogue delivers explosive dance-pop, and Blink-182 get existential on their first track with guitarist Tom DeLonge in over a decade. —Rolling Stone, 22 Sep. 2023

The track is an ode to the incomparable Quincy Jones, and samples Michael Jackson’s 1979 album, Off The Wall. —Felice León, Essence, 22 Sep. 2023

The track won him the best Punjabi vocalist at the PTC Punjabi Music Awards in 2019. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Sep. 2023

The storm track should help push water into the bay, causing a surge of water to push high tides as much as two feet higher than normal. —Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 21 Sep. 2023

Intel also confirmed that Lunar Lake is on track to release in 2024. —Monica Chin, The Verge, 21 Sep. 2023

Verb

Western officials and security experts said the phenomenon is being driven by forces ranging from resurgent authoritarianism in dozens of countries to the spread of technologies that enable repressive governments to track and target dissidents abroad. —Greg Miller, Washington Post, 23 Sep. 2023

And even while researchers try to track it, the calendar of human fertility has been changing. —Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 22 Sep. 2023

The Reserve Bank of Australia estimates the jobless rate, which is tracking at 3.7%, would need to rise to around 4.5% to help return inflation to its target band of 2%-3%. —Fox News, 22 Sep. 2023

Regulators, airlines, and parts suppliers around the world are scrambling to track down possible bogus parts as the AOG Technics scandal spreads from the U.S. all the way to Australia. —Bypaolo Confino, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2023

Many believe the movie will approach or cross $100 million in its launch — one source even suggests $125 million — and note that tracking an offering like this is difficult since concert films aren’t the norm. —Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Sep. 2023

Guts’ vinyl sales mark the seventh-largest week for a vinyl album since Luminate began electronically tracking sales in 1991. —Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 21 Sep. 2023

The organization released its latest analysis of book bans at America’s public schools Thursday, which tracked more than 3,000 instances across 33 states. —Nicole Chavez, CNN, 21 Sep. 2023

After tracking the count on each charge, Paxton took off her reading glasses and rested her chin on her hand. —Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Washington Post, 16 Sep. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English trak, from Middle French trac

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Verb

1565, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing track

• jump the track(s)
• on the right/wrong track
• hen track
• multi-track
• lose track of the time
• track-and-field
• keep track
• inside track
• sound track
• mommy track
• laugh track
• track meet
• lose track
• track lighting
• half-track
• track lights
• track record
• title track
• warning track
• one-track
• single-track
• fast track
• tenure-track
• the inside track
• off the beaten track
• on track

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• jump the track(s)
• on the right/wrong track
• hen track
• multi-track
• lose track of the time
• track-and-field
• keep track
• inside track
• sound track
• mommy track
• laugh track
• track meet
• lose track
• track lighting
• half-track
• track lights
• track record
• title track
• warning track
• one-track
• single-track
• fast track
• tenure-track
• the inside track
• off the beaten track
• on track

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Kids Definition

track

1 of 2 noun

ˈtrak 

1

a

: a mark left by something that has gone by

b

: path sense 1, trail

c

: a path along which something is recorded (as on magnetic tape)

2

a

: a course laid out for racing

b

: the parallel rails of a railroad

3

: the course along which something moves or progresses

4

: awareness of things or the order in which things happen or ideas come

lose track of the time

keep track of expenses

5

: either of two continuous metal belts on which a vehicle (as a tank or bulldozer) travels

6

: track-and-field sports

especially : those performed on a running track

trackless

ˈtrak-ləs 

adjective

track

2 of 2 verb

1

a

: to follow the tracks or traces of : trail

track a deer

b

: to search for until found

tracking down the causes of cancer

2

: to observe the moving path of

track a missile with radar

3

: to make tracks upon or with

track up the floor

track mud all over the floor

tracker noun