TRAIN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does train mean? 

• TRAIN (noun)
  The noun TRAIN has 6 senses:

1. public transport provided by a line of railway cars coupled together and drawn by a locomotive

2. a sequentially ordered set of things or events or ideas in which each successive member is related to the preceding

3. a procession (of wagons or mules or camels) traveling together in single file

4. a series of consequences wrought by an event

5. piece of cloth forming the long back section of a gown that is drawn along the floor

6. wheelwork consisting of a connected set of rotating gears by which force is transmitted or motion or torque is changed

  Familiarity information: TRAIN used as a noun is common.

• TRAIN (verb)
  The verb TRAIN has 11 senses:

1. create by training and teaching

2. undergo training or instruction in preparation for a particular role, function, or profession

3. develop (a child's or animal's) behavior by instruction and practice; especially to teach self-control

4. educate for a future role or function

5. teach or refine to be discriminative in taste or judgment

6. point or cause to go (blows, weapons, or objects such as photographic equipment) towards

7. teach and supervise (someone); act as a trainer or coach (to), as in sports

8. exercise in order to prepare for an event or competition

9. cause to grow in a certain way by tying and pruning it

10. travel by rail or train

11. drag loosely along a surface; allow to sweep the ground

  Familiarity information: TRAIN used as a verb is familiar.

 Dictionary entry details 

• TRAIN (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Public transport provided by a line of railway cars coupled together and drawn by a locomotive

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

railroad train; train

Context example:

express trains don't stop at Princeton Junction

Hypernyms ("train" is a kind of...):

public transport (conveyance for passengers or mail or freight)

Meronyms (members of "train"):

car; railcar; railroad car; railway car (a wheeled vehicle adapted to the rails of railroad)

engine; locomotive; locomotive engine; railway locomotive (a wheeled vehicle consisting of a self-propelled engine that is used to draw trains along railway tracks)

Domain member category:

roll-on roll-off (a method of transport (as a ferry or train or plane) that vehicles roll onto at the beginning and roll off of at the destination)

passenger; rider (a traveler riding in a vehicle (a boat or bus or car or plane or train etc) who is not operating it)

standee (someone who stands in a place where one might otherwise sit (as a spectator who uses standing room in a theater or a passenger on a crowded bus or train))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "train"):

passenger train (a train that carries passengers)

subway train (a train that runs in a subway system)

streamliner (a streamlined train)

mail train (a train that carries mail)

hospital train (a military train built to transport wounded troops to a hospital)

freight train; rattler (a railroad train consisting of freight cars)

car train (a train that transports passengers and their automobiles)

boat train (a train taking passengers to or from a port)

Derivation:

train (travel by rail or train)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A sequentially ordered set of things or events or ideas in which each successive member is related to the preceding

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Synonyms:

string; train

Context example:

a train of thought

Hypernyms ("train" is a kind of...):

series (similar things placed in order or happening one after another)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A procession (of wagons or mules or camels) traveling together in single file

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Synonyms:

caravan; train; wagon train

Context example:

they joined the wagon train for safety

Hypernyms ("train" is a kind of...):

procession (the group action of a collection of people or animals or vehicles moving ahead in more or less regular formation)

Meronyms (members of "train"):

Conestoga; Conestoga wagon; covered wagon; prairie schooner; prairie wagon (a large wagon with broad wheels and an arched canvas top; used by the United States pioneers to cross the prairies in the 19th century)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A series of consequences wrought by an event

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Context example:

it led to a train of disasters

Hypernyms ("train" is a kind of...):

aftermath; consequence (the outcome of an event especially as relative to an individual)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Piece of cloth forming the long back section of a gown that is drawn along the floor

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Context example:

the bride's train was carried by her two young nephews

Hypernyms ("train" is a kind of...):

piece of cloth; piece of material (a separate part consisting of fabric)

Holonyms ("train" is a part of...):

gown (a woman's dress, usually with a close-fitting bodice and a long flared skirt, often worn on formal occasions)

Derivation:

train (drag loosely along a surface; allow to sweep the ground)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Wheelwork consisting of a connected set of rotating gears by which force is transmitted or motion or torque is changed

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

gear; gearing; geartrain; power train; train

Context example:

the fool got his tie caught in the geartrain

Hypernyms ("train" is a kind of...):

wheelwork (mechanical device including an arrangement of wheel in a machine (especially a train of gears))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "train"):

epicyclic gear train; epicyclic train (a system of epicyclic gears in which at least one wheel axis itself revolves about another fixed axis)

reduction gear (gearing that reduces an input speed to a slower output speed)

Holonyms ("train" is a part of...):

engine (motor that converts thermal energy to mechanical work)

• TRAIN (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Create by training and teaching

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

develop; educate; prepare; train

Context example:

we develop the leaders for the future

Hypernyms (to "train" is one way to...):

instruct; learn; teach (impart skills or knowledge to)

Verb group:

groom; prepare; train (educate for a future role or function)

prepare; train (undergo training or instruction in preparation for a particular role, function, or profession)

build up; develop (change the use of and make available or usable)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "train"):

retrain (teach new skills)

toilet-train (train (a small child) to use the toilet)

house-train; housebreak (train (a pet) to live cleanly in a house)

drill (train in the military, e.g., in the use of weapons)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

trainee (someone who is being trained)

trainer (one who trains other persons or animals)

training (activity leading to skilled behavior)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Undergo training or instruction in preparation for a particular role, function, or profession

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

prepare; train

Context example:

He trained as a legal aid

Hypernyms (to "train" is one way to...):

learn; read; study; take (be a student of a certain subject)

Verb group:

develop; educate; prepare; train (create by training and teaching)

groom; prepare; train (educate for a future role or function)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "train"):

apprentice (be or work as an apprentice)

retrain (train again)

drill (undergo military training or do military exercises)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s to somebody

Derivation:

trainee (someone who is being trained)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Develop (a child's or animal's) behavior by instruction and practice; especially to teach self-control

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

check; condition; discipline; train

Context example:

Is this dog trained?

Hypernyms (to "train" is one way to...):

develop; make grow (cause to grow and differentiate in ways conforming to its natural development)

Verb group:

groom; prepare; train (educate for a future role or function)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "train"):

mortify (practice self-denial of one's body and appetites)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

trainee (someone who is being trained)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Educate for a future role or function

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

groom; prepare; train

Context example:

They trained him to be a warrior

Hypernyms (to "train" is one way to...):

educate (give an education to)

Verb group:

prepare; train (undergo training or instruction in preparation for a particular role, function, or profession)

develop; educate; prepare; train (create by training and teaching)

check; condition; discipline; train (develop (a child's or animal's) behavior by instruction and practice; especially to teach self-control)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "train"):

dispose; qualify (make fit or prepared)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

trainee (someone who is being trained)

trainer (one who trains other persons or animals)

training (activity leading to skilled behavior)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Teach or refine to be discriminative in taste or judgment

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

civilise; civilize; cultivate; educate; school; train

Context example:

She is well schooled in poetry

Hypernyms (to "train" is one way to...):

down; fine-tune; polish; refine (improve or perfect by pruning or polishing)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "train"):

sophisticate (make less natural or innocent)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 6

Meaning:

Point or cause to go (blows, weapons, or objects such as photographic equipment) towards

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Synonyms:

aim; direct; take; take aim; train

Context example:

Take a swipe at one's opponent

Hypernyms (to "train" is one way to...):

position (cause to be in an appropriate place, state, or relation)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "train"):

aim; direct; place; point; target (intend (something) to move towards a certain goal)

draw a bead on (aim with a gun)

hold (aim, point, or direct)

turn (direct at someone)

swing (hit or aim at with a sweeping arm movement)

charge; level; point (direct into a position for use)

level (aim at)

sight (take aim by looking through the sights of a gun (or other device))

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something PP
Somebody ----s PP

Sense 7

Meaning:

Teach and supervise (someone); act as a trainer or coach (to), as in sports

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

coach; train

Context example:

She is coaching the crew

Hypernyms (to "train" is one way to...):

instruct; learn; teach (impart skills or knowledge to)

Verb group:

train (exercise in order to prepare for an event or competition)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody to INFINITIVE

Derivation:

trainer (one who trains other persons or animals)

training (activity leading to skilled behavior)

Sense 8

Meaning:

Exercise in order to prepare for an event or competition

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Context example:

She is training for the Olympics

Hypernyms (to "train" is one way to...):

exercise; work out (do physical exercise)

Verb group:

coach; train (teach and supervise (someone); act as a trainer or coach (to), as in sports)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

training (activity leading to skilled behavior)

Sense 9

Meaning:

Cause to grow in a certain way by tying and pruning it

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Context example:

train the vine

Hypernyms (to "train" is one way to...):

check; contain; control; curb; hold; hold in; moderate (lessen the intensity of; temper; hold in restraint; hold or keep within limits)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "train"):

trellis (train on a trellis, as of a vine)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 10

Meaning:

Travel by rail or train

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

rail; train

Context example:

She trained to Hamburg

Hypernyms (to "train" is one way to...):

ride (be carried or travel on or in a vehicle)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

train (public transport provided by a line of railway cars coupled together and drawn by a locomotive)

Sense 11

Meaning:

Drag loosely along a surface; allow to sweep the ground

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

trail; train

Context example:

She trained her long scarf behind her

Hypernyms (to "train" is one way to...):

drag (pull, as against a resistance)

Verb group:

trail (hang down so as to drag along the ground)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

train (piece of cloth forming the long back section of a gown that is drawn along the floor)

 Context examples 

“Unless my uncle should wish to train me, there is no one I would rather have.”

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

ASCO provides training in clinical research and patient care and publishes the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

(American Society of Clinical Oncology, NCI Thesaurus)

He had trained it, probably by the use of the milk which we saw, to return to him when summoned.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

One thing troubled me much, after we had fallen into this quiet train.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Do you mean to say that you read my train of thoughts from my features?

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

It was so thick that nothing could be seen, and we had no difficulty in lowering West’s body on to the train.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

And no time is so beautiful and precious to parents as the first years of the little lives given to them to train.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Attention training improves intelligence and brain function of children.

(Study reveals attention training improves intelligence and brain function of children, University of Granada)

You forget—or perhaps you do not know, though Jonathan does and so does Dr. Van Helsing—that I am the train fiend.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Under ordinary circumstances, after all that I had undergone, I should have been fit for bed and a trained nurse.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)