track

TRAK/tɹæk/

Verbtracks, tracking, tracked

Noun pluraltracks

31 meanings of track

Practice

1
monitorverbtransitive
To watch or measure how someone or something moves or changes over time.
Like marking your height on a wall as you grow taller each year.
Doctors track her blood pressure every few hours.
The app tracks how many steps you take each day.
UsageSay track your steps or track a package.
Similarmonitor, follow, chart, log
2
piece of musicnouncountable
One song or piece of music on an album or other recording.
Like one chapter in a book: part of the whole, but its own piece.
My favorite track on the album is the slow one near the end.
She skipped to the next track without listening to the rest.
UsageSay a track on the album.
Similarsong, number, recording, cut
Note
3
race circuitnouncountable
A path or loop built for running, racing, or exercise.
Like a big oval drawn on the ground for runners to go around.
The runners lined up at the start of the track.
She jogs around the track at the park before work.
UsageSay she runs around the track.
Similarracetrack, course
Note
4
railway linenouncountable or uncountable
The set of rails that a train runs along.
Like a groove that keeps a marble rolling in one straight line.
The train slowed as it reached a curve in the track.
Workers repaired the track after the storm washed out part of it.
UsageSay the train tracks.
Similarrails, railway, tracks
Note
5
nouncountable
The path and direction that someone or something is moving in, and how far it has come.
Forecasters plotted the hurricane's track across the gulf.
After a hard month, her schoolwork is finally back on track.
UsageSay the plan is on track.
Similarcourse, trajectory, path
6
keep tabsnoununcountable
A clear sense of where something is or how it is going, from watching it closely.
Like keeping count in your head so you don't forget where you are.
It's hard to keep track of the time when you're having fun.
I lost track of how many cups of coffee I drank.
UsageSay keep track of or lose track of.
Similarcount, record
7
locateverbtransitive
To follow the marks or signs someone left behind so that you can find them.
Like following a trail of crumbs to find where someone went.
Police managed to track the suspect to a remote cabin.
The hunters tracked the deer through the fresh snow.
UsageSay police tracked him to a cabin.
8
sportnoununcountable
The sport of running races and field events like jumping and throwing.
Like a big sports day with running, jumping, and throwing all together.
She runs track for her school in the spring.
He gave up soccer to focus on track.
UsageSay she runs track.
Similarathletics
9
rough pathnouncountable
A rough path or dirt road worn down by use.
Like a worn dirt path across a field where many feet have walked.
We drove up a narrow track to reach the farmhouse.
A muddy track led through the woods to the lake.
Similarpath, road, way
10
fixed coursenouncountable
The physical course or way along which something moves.
Like a slide at the playground that sends you down one set way.
The marble rolled along a curved track and into the hole.
The drawer slides back on a smooth metal track.
Similarpath, course, way
11
sound layernouncountable
Sound that has been recorded and saved, ready to be played back.
Like one layer of paint that joins with others to make the full picture.
They added a drum track to the recording.
The vocal track was too quiet in the final mix.
UsageSay a drum track or a vocal track.
Similarrecording
Note
12
head towardverbintransitive
To move or travel along a path or across a place.
The storm tracked slowly northward overnight.
Summer storms often track across the bay in the afternoon.
UsageSay the storm tracked north.
Similarmove, head, travel, trend

Less common meanings

13
wheel marksnouncountable
Marks left on the ground by feet, paws, or wheels where someone or something has gone.
Like the line a snail leaves shining on the ground.
The sled left a long track in the snow behind it.
Muddy tracks from the tires ran across the driveway.
UsageSay tracks in the snow.
Similartrail, rut, mark, trace, print
14
tank beltnounabbreviationellipsis
Short for caterpillar track. It is the looped belt of metal plates that tanks and diggers roll along on.
The digger's track came off when it hit a rock.
A tank needs a strong track to cross muddy ground.
Note
15
talk seriesnouncountable
A group of talks at a conference that all share one topic.
The conference offered a track on machine learning.
She presented her paper in the security track.
UsageSay a track on a topic.
Similarstream, strand
16
move in stepverbtransitive
To move or change in the same way as another person or thing.
Ice cream sales track the weather, going up on hot days and down on cold ones.
On the wall, her shadow tracked every move she made.
UsageOften used with closely, as in sales closely track the weather.
Similarmirror, follow, parallel, match, shadow
17
record musicverbtransitive or intransitive
To record a song or part of a song in a studio.
Producers often track vocals separately from the instruments.
The musicians tracked late into the night.
Similarrecord
Note
18
make senseverbcolloquialintransitive
To make sense and fit with what you already know.
Like two halves of a story that fit neatly together.
Those numbers just don't track.
Once you see the timeline, the details track perfectly.
UsagePeople say that tracks, meaning it makes sense.
Similartally, jibe, square, fit, agree
Oppositeconflict, clash
Note
19
sort studentsverbtransitive
To split students into groups that each learn at a different level.
Many schools track students by ability starting in middle school.
The district decided to track pupils into advanced and standard classes.
UsageSay students are tracked by ability.
Similarstream, set, group, sort
Note
20
move cameraverbtransitive or intransitive
To move a camera so a moving person or thing stays in the picture.
Like turning your head to keep a passing car in view.
Watch the camera track the runner as she crosses the finish line.
The camera tracked the car as it raced down the hill.
Similarfollow, dolly
Note
21
spread dirtverbtransitive
To leave dirty marks or footprints on a floor by walking.
Like leaving muddy footprints across a clean floor.
Please don't track dirt across the carpet.
The dog tracked muddy prints down the hall.
UsageSay track mud into the house.
Similartread, drag, bring
22
disk ringnouncountable
One of the rings on a computer disk where data is kept. A CD keeps its data along one long spiral.
Like a circular lane on a sports field, marked off into smaller sections.
The drive reads each track as the disk spins.
Data on the outer track loads faster than on the inner one.
Note
23
cricket pitchnouncountable
In cricket, the strip of ground in the middle where the ball is bowled.
Like the special middle strip of a field where most of the play happens.
The bowlers found the track difficult to read.
By the last day, the cricket track was dry and cracked.
Similarpitch, ground
Note
24
noun
The width between the left and right wheels on the same axle.
25
noun
The whole bottom of a foot, mainly of a bird.
26
nounslang
The street where sex workers find customers.
27
nouncolloquial
A running shoe with spikes.
28
nounPhilippines
The main subject area a student picks in senior high school.
29
verb
To pull a boat with a rope from the shore.
30
verb
To think clearly and follow what is going on.
31
verb
To make music with a type of computer program called a tracker.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of track apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

It comes from Middle English 'trak' and Old French 'trac' (a trail or trace). Its origin is uncertain, but it probably came from a Germanic source.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

Track derives from Middle English 'trak' and Old French 'trac', meaning a trail or trace. en.wiktionary.org
The further origin is uncertain. en.wiktionary.org
The word probably ultimately came from a Germanic source. en.wiktionary.org