- 1 [countable] a rough path or road, usually one that has not been built but that has been made by people walking there a muddy track through the forest see also cart track Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivenarrow, wide, steep, … verb + trackfollow track + verblead, fork prepositionalong a/the track, down a/the track, up a/the track, … phrasesoff the beaten track, on the right track, onto the right track, … See full entry See related entries: Hobbies, Types of road marks on ground
- 2 [countable, usually plural] marks left by a person, an animal or a moving vehicle We followed the bear's tracks in the snow. tyre tracks Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivedeep, fresh, animal, … verb + trackleave, make, cover, … track + nounmarks prepositionon the track of phrasesfreeze in your tracks, halt in your tracks, stop in your tracks, … See full entry for train
- 3 [countable, uncountable] rails that a train moves along railway/railroad tracks India has thousands of miles of track. Wordfindertrainaisle, buffet, carriage, connection, locomotive, luggage rack, platform, station, track, train Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectiverail, railroad, railway, … verb + tracklay, cross, come off, … track + nounlayout See full entry See related entries: Railway tracks and stations
- 4 [countable] (North American English) a track with a number at a train station that a train arrives at or leaves from The train for Chicago is on track 9. British/Americanplatform / track In British stations the platforms, where passengers get on and off trains, have numbers:The Edinburgh train is waiting at platform 4. In stations in the USA, it is the track that the train travels along that has a number:The train for Chicago is on track 9. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectiverail, railroad, railway, … verb + tracklay, cross, come off, … track + nounlayout See full entry for races
- 5 [countable] a piece of ground with a special surface for people, cars, etc. to have races on a running track a Formula One Grand Prix track (= for motor racing) see also dirt track (2), track and field Oxford Collocations Dictionary track + nounchampionship, event, meet, … See full entry See related entries: Athletics direction/course
- 6[countable] the path or direction that somebody/something is moving in Police are on the track of (= searching for) the thieves. She is on the fast track to promotion (= will get it quickly). see also one-track mind Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivefast, inside, parallel, … verb + trackswitch prepositionalong a/the track, on (a/the) track, track for, … phraseskeep track of something, lose track of something See full entry on tape/CD
- 7 [countable] a piece of music or song on a record, tape or CD a track from their latest album Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivealbum, live, pre-recorded, … verb + trackcreate, cut, lay down, … track + verbfeature somebody/something, include something track + nountitle, list, listing, … See full entry See related entries: Listening to music
- 8[countable] part of a tape, CD or computer disk that music or information can be recorded on a sixteen track recording studio She sang on the backing track. see also soundtrack Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivealbum, live, pre-recorded, … verb + trackcreate, cut, lay down, … track + verbfeature somebody/something, include something track + nountitle, list, listing, … See full entry for curtain
- 9[countable] a pole or rail that a curtain moves along on large vehicle
- 10[countable] a continuous belt of metal plates around the wheels of a large vehicle such as a bulldozer that allows it to move over the ground Word Originlate 15th cent. (in the sense ‘trail, marks left behind’): the noun from Old French trac, perhaps from Low German or Dutch trek ‘draught, drawing’; the verb (current senses dating from the mid 16th cent.) from French traquer or directly from the noun.Extra examples A few planes were parked on the perimeter track of the airfield. Continue along the farm track for another hundred metres. Film comedy developed along a similar track to film drama. He had been careless, and had done little to cover his tracks. He switched tracks and went back to college. I was so absorbed in my work that I lost track of time. Keep track of all your payments by writing them down in a book. Many branch lines were closed, and the tracks lifted. Rabbits had left tracks in the snow. She decided to change her career track. She felt the excitement of a journalist on the track of a good story. She had already cut a couple of tracks as lead singer with her own group. She seems to be on the fast track for promotion. The beach is criss-crossed with animal tracks. The company already operates a greyhound track. The competition features many top track and field athletes. The country is on the fast track to democracy. The disease was stopped in its tracks by immunization programmes. The new manager successfully got the team back onto the right track. The police were on the wrong track when they treated the case as a revenge killing. The ship was on a southerly track. The track leads across a field. This song is easily the disc’s standout track. When the track forks, take the left fork. Yesterday I had track practice. a single track road with passing places a twin track approach to crime an inside track to the ear of government A cart track led to the farm. A forest track leads up to the waterfall. A sign marks where the cycle track = a special route for cyclists ends. An ancient track crosses the moors. Follow the track north across the moor. Students pursue one of three tracks: professional writing, film/television/video or new media. The green hills were criss-crossed with sheep tracks. The path joins a farm track near a barn. There are thirteen tracks on the album. There were two sets of fresh tyre tracks outside. They had to drive up a dirt track. We followed the bear’s tracks in the snow. We were bumping along the rough track that led to the lake.Idioms
noun jump to other results
BrE BrE//træk//; NAmE NAmE//træk//
Athletics, Railway tracks and stations, Hobbies, Listening to music, Types of road
going in the right direction again after a mistake, failure, etc. I tried to get my life back on track after my divorce.
to be doing the right thing in order to achieve a particular result Curtis is on track for the gold medal.
to try and hide what you have done, because you do not want other people to find out about it He had attempted to cover his tracks by making her death appear like suicide.
from or living in a poor area or part of town
(informal) close to catching or finding the person or thing that you have been chasing or searching for
to have/not have information about what is happening or where somebody/something is Bank statements help you keep track of where your money is going. I lost all track of time (= forgot what time it was).
(informal) to leave a place, especially to go home It’s getting late—I’d better make tracks.
far away from other people, houses, etc. They live miles off the beaten track.
thinking or behaving in the right/wrong way We haven’t found a cure yet—but we are on the right track.
to suddenly make somebody stop by frightening or surprising them; to suddenly stop because something has frightened or surprised you The question stopped Alice in her tracks. See related entries: Surprise
Check pronunciation: track
