train
vb
1 tr to guide or teach (to do something), as by subjecting to various exercises or experiences
to train a man to fight
2 tr to control or guide towards a specific goal
to train a plant up a wall
3 intr to do exercises and prepare for a specific purpose
the athlete trained for the Olympics
4 tr to improve or curb by subjecting to discipline
to train the mind
5 tr to focus or bring to bear (on something)
to train a telescope on the moon
n
a a line of coaches or wagons coupled together and drawn by a railway locomotive
b (as modifier)
a train ferry
7 a sequence or series, as of events, thoughts, etc.
a train of disasters
8 a procession of people, vehicles, etc., travelling together, such as one carrying supplies of ammunition or equipment in support of a military operation
9 a series of interacting parts through which motion is transmitted
a train of gears
10 a fuse or line of gunpowder to an explosive charge, etc.
11 something drawn along, such as the long back section of a dress that trails along the floor behind the wearer
13 proper order or course (C14: from Old French trahiner, from Vulgar Latin traginare (unattested) to draw; related to Latin trahere to drag) ♦
trainable adj ♦
trainless adj
boat train
n a train scheduled to take passengers to or from a particular ship
cat-train , cat-swing
n (Canadian) a train of sleds, cabooses, etc., pulled by a caterpillar tractor, used chiefly in the north during winter to transport freight
dog train
n (Canadian) a sleigh drawn by a team of dogs
epicyclic train
n a cluster of gears consisting of a central gearwheel with external teeth (the sun), a coaxial gearwheel of greater diameter with internal teeth (the annulus), and one or more planetary gears engaging with both of them to provide a large gear ratio in a compact space
gear train
n (Engineering) a system of gears that transmits power from one shaft to another
gravy train
n
Slang a job requiring comparatively little work for good pay, benefits, etc.
house-train
vb tr (Brit) to train (pets) to urinate and defecate outside the house or in a special place
♦
house-trained adj
road train
n (Austral) a line of linked trailers pulled by a truck, used for transporting stock, etc.
train oil
n oil obtained from the blubber of various marine animals, esp. the whale
(C16: from earlier train or trane, from Middle Low German tran or Middle Dutch traen tear, exudation)
train spotter
n
1 a person who collects the numbers of railway locomotives
2 Informal a person who is obsessed with trivial details, esp. of a subject generally considered uninteresting
wagon train
n a supply train of horses and wagons, esp. one going over rough terrain
wave train
n (Physics) a series of waves travelling in the same direction and spaced at regular intervals