train
train — noun
1. a long vehicle that travels on railway tracks, made up of an engine that pulls o
a long vehicle that travels on railway tracks, made up of an engine that pulls or pushes a series of connected carriages or wagons, used for moving people or goods between different railway stops
Nadia caught the early train from Taipei to Kaohsiung for the conference.
train + from + to + place showing route
The train was delayed by forty minutes because of a signal problem near the station.
passive: was delayed; cause introduced by 'because of'
Joshua prefers taking the train to work rather than sitting in traffic.
A freight train carrying grain passed through the small town at midnight.
compound: freight train; participial: carrying grain
The high-speed train between Madrid and Barcelona takes just two and a half hours.
- catch a train
- take a train
- board a train
- miss a train
- get off a train
- railway
refers to the track system, not the vehicle itself; British English
- locomotive
specifically the engine part that pulls the carriages; technical
Grammar Patterns
a/the + train
train + from/to + place
by + train
Usage Note
Can be used with 'by' for the method of travel: 'She goes to work by train' (no article). 'Catch/take/get the train' all require an article or determiner.
Common Mistakes
2. a linked flow of ideas, thoughts, or happenings that follow one another in a log
a linked flow of ideas, thoughts, or happenings that follow one another in a logical way, viewed as a single thread passing through a person's mind
The loud knock on the door interrupted my train of thought completely.
possessive: my train of thought; verb: interrupted
Tamás lost his train of thought when his phone rang loudly during the meeting.
Reema tried to follow the train of events that had led to the argument.
train of events for connected occurrences
Adina's essay followed a clear train of ideas from the introduction to the conclusion.
- train of thought
- train of events
- train of ideas
- lose one's train of thought
- interrupt a train of thought
- sequence
more general; lacks the idea of logical connection
- chain
emphasises each link depending on the previous one
- succession
formal; a series following one after another
- disruption
something that breaks a connected series
Grammar Patterns
one's + train of thought
train of + noun
Usage Note
Almost always used in the fixed phrase 'train of thought' or 'train of events'. The sense is singular; there is no plural 'trains of thought' in natural usage.
Common Mistakes
3. a line of people, animals, or vehicles moving slowly in the same direction, typi
a line of people, animals, or vehicles moving slowly in the same direction, typically one behind another
A long train of camels walked slowly across the desert sand toward the oasis.
train of + animals; adverbial: across the desert sand
Daichi watched a train of ants carrying food back to their underground nest.
A train of mourners followed the hearse through the streets of the old town.
The bride's family led a train of decorated cars through the narrow village streets.
train of + vehicles; possessive: the bride's family
- a train of camels
- a train of wagons
- a train of followers
- procession
often implies ceremony or formality
- column
suggests a military or organised formation
- cortege
specifically a funeral procession; formal
Grammar Patterns
a train of + noun
4. the long rear section of a formal dress or gown that spreads outward at the back
the long rear section of a formal dress or gown that spreads outward at the back of the wearer and reaches down to the ground
The bride's wedding dress had a long white train that swept the marble floor.
possessive: the bride's wedding dress; relative clause: that swept
Selim's little niece loved holding the train of her mother's evening gown.
The queen's coronation robe had a velvet train carried by two young attendants.
passive: was carried by; material: velvet train
Nia carefully lifted the train of her silk dress before walking up the stairs.
- the train of a dress
- a long train
- carry the train
- sweep the train
- tail
less common for dresses; also used for coats and jackets
Grammar Patterns
the train of + dress/gown
Usage Note
Refers only to the trailing section of a dress or robe, not the entire garment. Most commonly used for wedding dresses and formal evening gowns.
To cause something to happen as a result.
The storm brought destruction in its train.
Did the new policy bring any benefits in its train?
in somebody’s train
idiomFollowing closely behind someone.
The children walked in their mother's train.
In the celebrity's train came many reporters.
To start or prepare a process or series of events.
The manager set the new project in train.
Who set these changes in train?
a train of thought
idiomA connected series of thoughts that someone has at one time.
A loud noise broke my train of thought.
She lost her train of thought during the meeting.
train — verb
1. to teach a person or animal the skills, knowledge, or physical fitness needed fo
to teach a person or animal the skills, knowledge, or physical fitness needed for a particular job, sport, activity, or task by giving regular instruction and practice
Nadia trained for six months before running her first full marathon in Berlin.
intransitive: trained for + duration; purpose: before + gerund
The company trains all new employees to use the accounting software within two weeks.
transitive: trains + object + to-infinitive
Tamás trains the local youth football team three evenings every week.
Esteban trained as a nurse before deciding to study medicine at university.
trained as + profession
Joshua is training his dog to sit and stay on command using positive reinforcement.
- train hard
- train regularly
- train intensively
- train for a competition
- train a team
- neglect
fail to give proper teaching or guidance
Grammar Patterns
train + object
train + object + to-infinitive
train + as + profession
train + for + event
train + in + skill
Usage Note
Frequently used in the pattern 'train to + verb' for a purpose (He trained to become a pilot). The passive is common: 'She was trained in CPR.'
Common Mistakes
2. to show a living creature, whether human or pet, how to develop a regular patter
to show a living creature, whether human or pet, how to develop a regular pattern of behaviour by repeating actions until the habit forms naturally
Reema trained her children to wash their hands before every meal without being reminded.
transitive + object + to-infinitive for habit
Adina trained herself to wake up at five o'clock every morning by setting two alarms.
reflexive: trained herself to
The puppy was trained to sleep in its own basket from the very first night.
Daichi trained his cat to use the scratching post instead of the living room sofa.
- train oneself
- train a child
- train a pet
- train to behave
- discipline
stronger emphasis on rules and obedience; can sound severe
- accustom
gradual familiarisation; less active teaching involved
- condition
using repeated associations to shape behaviour; psychological term
- spoil
allow someone to develop bad habits through lack of discipline
Grammar Patterns
train + object + to-infinitive
train + reflexive pronoun
train + object + in + noun
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 1 (TEACH SKILLS): sense 1 is about acquiring abilities for a specific job, sport, or task (train to be a pilot, train for a marathon). This sense is about instilling routine daily behaviour (washing hands, waking early, using a scratching post). The reflexive pattern 'train oneself to…' is exclusive to this sense — sense 1 uses 'train to be/as a' for career goals. For pets, both senses can apply, but this sense emphasises the habitual routine, not the skill.
Common Mistakes
3. to point or aim a weapon, camera, telescope, light, or similar device directly a
to point or aim a weapon, camera, telescope, light, or similar device directly at a specific target or object so that it is focused on that spot
The photographer trained his camera on the young couple standing by the fountain.
trained + device + on + target (camera)
Daichi trained the garden hose at the burning bush and turned the water on.
Nia trained her binoculars on the rare bird perched on the wooden fence.
The soldiers trained their weapons at the target across the training field.
trained + device + at + target (weapon)
- train a camera on
- train a gun on
- train a light on
- train binoculars on
- train a telescope on
Grammar Patterns
train + device + on + target
train + device + at + target
Usage Note
The preposition 'on' is more common for cameras, telescopes, and binoculars; 'at' is more common for weapons. The passive form is frequent: 'A spotlight was trained on the stage.'
4. to control how a plant develops by cutting back certain branches and fastening s
to control how a plant develops by cutting back certain branches and fastening stems to a support, guiding them to grow along a chosen path, surface, or form
The gardener trained the rose bush to grow up the stone wall using wire supports.
trained + plant + to-infinitive + direction (up the stone wall)
Piotr trained the grape vine along the wooden trellis in the back garden.
Esme carefully trained the young apple tree branches to spread outward for better sunlight.
The gardener trained the ivy to climb around the front window frame of the house.
trained + plant + to-infinitive + location (around the window frame)
- train a plant
- train a vine
- train a rose
- train along a trellis
- train against a wall
Grammar Patterns
train + plant + to-infinitive
train + plant + along/up/over + support
Usage Note
This is a specialised gardening term. It applies to climbing plants (ivy, roses, vines) and fruit trees. The methods involved are pruning and tying, not fertilising or watering.
5. to provide a computer model or artificial intelligence system with a large amoun
to provide a computer model or artificial intelligence system with a large amount of data so that it learns to recognise patterns, make predictions, or perform tasks without being explicitly programmed for every step
The research team trained the AI model on millions of labelled medical images.
trained + model + on + dataset (millions of labelled medical images)
Romi trained a chatbot using customer service conversations from the previous year.
Engineers trained the speech recognition system on recordings from over five thousand speakers.
To improve accuracy, the team trained the algorithm on a larger and more varied dataset.
purpose clause: To improve accuracy; trained + algorithm + on + dataset
- train a model
- train a network
- train on data
- train an algorithm
- train a classifier
Grammar Patterns
train + model/system + on + dataset
train + model + to-infinitive
train + network/algorithm
Usage Note
In machine learning contexts, 'train' is almost always transitive and takes a technical model type as its object (model, system, network, algorithm). The training data is introduced with 'on'. This sense is growing rapidly in everyday technical vocabulary.
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
All four words describe teaching, but they differ in setting and method. 'Train' is the broadest — it covers physical skills (sports, jobs) and behaviour, usually through repeated practice over time. 'Coach' is more personal and encouraging; you coach someone one-on-one to improve their performance, especially in sports or career development. 'Instruct' is more formal and step-by-step; an instructor tells you how to do something, often in a classroom or manual. 'Drill' means teaching through intense repetition until the action becomes automatic — common in the military, music, and language learning. 'Tutor' is one-on-one academic teaching, usually to help with a specific subject like maths or English. For example: Joshua trains his dog (repeated practice); a teacher instructs the class (formal delivery); a sergeant drills the soldiers (repetitive precision); and a friend tutors you in chemistry (one-on-one academic help).
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'train' entered English from Old French 'traine' (a dragger's trail), derived from the verb 'traîner' meaning 'to pull or drag'. This came from Vulgar Latin '*traginare', which itself originated from Latin 'trahere' ('to pull, draw, drag'). The earliest English senses (14th century) meant 'a trailing part of a robe' (modern sense 4) and 'a retinue following behind'. The idea of a 'series' (senses 2 and 3) grew from the image of things trailing one after another. The railway sense emerged around the 1820s, during the early steam locomotive era, when engines began pulling connected carriages. The verb 'to train' meaning 'to teach' developed from the notion of 'drawing or guiding someone along a desired path', like guiding a plant or directing a child's development.