# trailing

Pronunciation: say "TRAY-ling" /ˈtɹeɪ.lɪŋ/

## Adjective

1. Following along behind, especially when attached to something and pulled along after it.
   - Simple: Hanging down and dragging along behind something as it moves.
   - _A trailing rope from the boat snagged on the dock._
   - _The toddler clutched a trailing blanket as she crossed the room._
4. Of railway tracks or points, converging in the direction a train travels, so the lines merge as the train moves forward.
   - Simple: Coming together in the same direction that a train is traveling.
   - _The crew reset the trailing points after the freight cars had passed._
   - _A trailing crossover let the two lines combine safely beyond the platform._

## Verb

2. Present participle of trail. — present participle and gerund of trail
   - Simple: Present participle of trail. Use this form for an action that is happening now.
   - _The detectives were trailing the suspect across three states._
   - _Vines were trailing down from the old balcony._

## Noun

3. A loose length or streak of fabric or other material drawn out behind something or hanging down from it.
   - Simple: Cloth or other material that trails, hanging down or stretching out behind something in a long line.
   - _Every gust of wind lifted a pale trailing of gauze from the bride's veil._
   - _Wet trailings of seaweed clung to the hull when the boat was hauled ashore._

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/trailing (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).