train
Connected railway vehicles
A group of connected railway cars that carry people or things.
a [adjective] train
- We took the morning train to New York.
- The train was delayed by thirty minutes.
- A freight train passed through the town at night.
- She waved as the train pulled out of the station.
- I go to work by train.
- The train is late today.
- We are on the train now.
- The train stops at this station.
Teach or prepare through practice
To help someone learn a skill by teaching and practice, or to learn a skill yourself.
to train [someone] to [do something]
- She trains new employees on how to use the software.
- He is training for the Olympics.
- We need to train our dog to follow commands.
- The company trains staff in customer service skills.
- I train my dog every day.
- She trains to be a teacher.
- They train workers in safety rules.
- He trains for the race.
Exercise to improve ability or fitness
To do exercise or practice often to get better at a sport or skill.
to train for [an event]
- She trains every morning before work.
- They are training for the city marathon.
- I need to train more if I want to win.
- I train at the gym.
- He trains for football.
- We train three times a week.
Aim something at target
To point something like a camera or gun at something.
to train [something] on [something]
- The reporter trained his microphone on the speaker.
- Soldiers trained their rifles on the door.
- She trained her eyes on the horizon.
- He trains the camera on me.
- They train guns on the target.
- She trains her eyes on the road.
Sequence of connected things
A line of people, things, or events that come one after another.
- A long train of cars followed the parade.
- His rude comment set off a train of complaints.
- The bride's dress had a long silk train.
- The bride has a long train on her dress.
- There is a train of cars behind the truck.
- He lost his train of thought.
- Base: train
- Plural: trains
- Base: train
- 3rd Person Singular: trains
- Present Participle: training
- Past: trained
in training
1Currently preparing for activity/job
Learning and practicing for a sport, job, or activity now.
- He is in training for the boxing match next month.
- All new staff are in training for two weeks.
train of thought
1Connected sequence of ideas in mind
The line of ideas you are thinking about.
- I lost my train of thought when he interrupted me.
- She paused to gather her train of thought before continuing.
train of thought
1connected series of ideas
The line of ideas you are following in your mind.
- I lost my train of thought when the phone rang.
- His speech was hard to follow because his train of thought kept shifting.
- Let me finish this train of thought before we change topics.
train on
1Aim something at target and keep focus
To point something like a camera or weapon at something and keep it pointed there.
- The cameraman trained on the singer throughout the performance.
- Security guards trained their flashlights on the dark corner.
train up
1Teach skills until ready for task/job
To help someone learn all they need for a job or task over time.
- We need to train up more nurses for rural clinics.
- They trained her up to manage the store.