As a noun, it is a path or track made by people, animals, or vehicles. As a verb, it means to follow behind someone or something, or to drag along behind.
It comes from Old French 'trailer', meaning 'to tow' or 'to drag', from Latin 'trahere' meaning 'to pull'. The path sense comes from the marks left by repeated dragging or walking.
When hikers follow a trail, they’re literally walking in the pulled-out path of countless feet before them. The same root shows up in 'train' and 'tractor'—all about pulling, dragging, and the marks that movement leaves behind.
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