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
tracked; tracking; tracks
1
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
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
Synonyms
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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Matt Donnelly, Variety, 19 Apr. 2024
In the eight-minute music video, Sawa plays the character of Stan, an obsessive Eminem fan who gets progressively angrier and more violent with his pregnant girlfriend (portrayed by Dido, who is also featured on the track) when the rapper doesn’t respond to his letters.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 18 Apr. 2024
Heat is the enemy for any car on track, regardless of powertrain.
—IEEE Spectrum, 17 Apr. 2024
Delivery is on track to begin in May, with all eligible residents expected to receive them by October.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2024
Perhaps Sean and James can get George Harrison's son Dhani and Ringo Starr's son Zak to join them on the next track?
—EW.com, 17 Apr. 2024
The track of the moon's shadow across Earth's surface is called the path of totality.
—Leah Sarnoff, ABC News, 6 Apr. 2024
Forty-four percent say the state is on the wrong track, up from 29 percent in 2018.
—Emily Guskin, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024
Boundaries: Mansion Flats’ boundaries go north to the Union Pacific Railroad tracks, west to 12th Street, south to J Street and east to 16th Street.
—Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 6 Apr. 2024
Peter Debruge, Variety, 19 Apr. 2024
Spotify is still tracking for other potential records today that could be broken by Swift.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 19 Apr. 2024
At about 3 months old, a baby’s eyes begin to focus and track objects.
—Isabella Balandran, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024
Now, experts say the case raises questions about how migrants who may pose a security threat are vetted and tracked in the U.S.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 18 Apr. 2024
Keep Your Speed Up Like their larger cousin the muskie, pike will often track a lure before committing.
—Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 18 Apr. 2024
Police tracked him down later that day and brought him in.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2024
There’s no head tracking spatial audio, for example.
—Chris Welch, The Verge, 18 Apr. 2024
Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA).
—Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 7 Apr. 2024
Noun
Participant got me on this career track and gave me a path.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 19 Apr. 2024
In the eight-minute music video, Sawa plays the character of Stan, an obsessive Eminem fan who gets progressively angrier and more violent with his pregnant girlfriend (portrayed by Dido, who is also featured on the track) when the rapper doesn’t respond to his letters.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 18 Apr. 2024
Heat is the enemy for any car on track, regardless of powertrain.
—IEEE Spectrum, 17 Apr. 2024
Delivery is on track to begin in May, with all eligible residents expected to receive them by October.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2024
Perhaps Sean and James can get George Harrison's son Dhani and Ringo Starr's son Zak to join them on the next track?
—EW.com, 17 Apr. 2024
The track of the moon's shadow across Earth's surface is called the path of totality.
—Leah Sarnoff, ABC News, 6 Apr. 2024
Forty-four percent say the state is on the wrong track, up from 29 percent in 2018.
—Emily Guskin, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024
Boundaries: Mansion Flats’ boundaries go north to the Union Pacific Railroad tracks, west to 12th Street, south to J Street and east to 16th Street.
—Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 6 Apr. 2024
Verb
Even the twists track, paying off what amounts to a nearly four-hour investment (not counting however many months audiences may have waited to see how the story ends).
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 19 Apr. 2024
Spotify is still tracking for other potential records today that could be broken by Swift.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 19 Apr. 2024
At about 3 months old, a baby’s eyes begin to focus and track objects.
—Isabella Balandran, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024
Now, experts say the case raises questions about how migrants who may pose a security threat are vetted and tracked in the U.S.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 18 Apr. 2024
Keep Your Speed Up Like their larger cousin the muskie, pike will often track a lure before committing.
—Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 18 Apr. 2024
Police tracked him down later that day and brought him in.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2024
There’s no head tracking spatial audio, for example.
—Chris Welch, The Verge, 18 Apr. 2024
Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA).
—Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 7 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'track.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near track
Cite this Entry
“Track.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/track. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
track
1 of 2 noun1
a
: a mark left by something that has gone by
b
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
track
2 of 2 verb1
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
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