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train

/treɪn/

/treɪn/

Other forms: training; trained; trains

To train means to teach a skill. If you train your cat to use the toilet, your family will be amazed.

You can train animals to perform in a circus or roll over, and you can train people to do things like program computers or use an espresso machine. When you instruct someone how to do a task, you train him or her. Other meanings of the word train? A locomotive, like the train that takes people from New York City to Boston or a long piece of material attached to the back of a dress, like the train on a wedding dress.

Definitions of train
  1. verb
    educate for a future role or function
    “They trained him to be a warrior”
    synonyms: groom, prepare
    prepare
    undergo training or instruction in preparation for a particular role, function, or profession
    develop, educate, prepare
    create by training and teaching
    check, condition, discipline
    develop (children's) behavior by instruction and practice; especially to teach self-control
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    types:
    dispose, qualify
    make fit or prepared
    habilitate
    qualify for teaching at a university in Europe
    capacitate
    make capable
    type of:
    educate
    give an education to
  2. verb
    teach and supervise (someone); act as a trainer or coach (to), as in sports
    “He is training our Olympic team”
    synonyms: coach
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    type of:
    instruct, learn, teach
    impart skills or knowledge to
  3. verb
    create by training and teaching
    “The old master is training world-class violinists”
    synonyms: develop, educate, prepare
    build up, develop
    change the use of and make available or usable
    prepare
    undergo training or instruction in preparation for a particular role, function, or profession
    groom, prepare
    educate for a future role or function
    see moresee less
    types:
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    retrain
    teach new skills
    drill
    train in the military, e.g., in the use of weapons
    house-train, housebreak
    train (a pet) to live cleanly in a house
    toilet-train
    train (a small child) to use the toilet
    type of:
    instruct, learn, teach
    impart skills or knowledge to
  4. verb
    develop (children's) behavior by instruction and practice; especially to teach self-control
    “Is this dog trained?”
    synonyms: check, condition, discipline
    groom, prepare
    educate for a future role or function
    see moresee less
    types:
    mortify
    practice self-denial of one's body and appetites
    type of:
    develop, make grow
    cause to grow and differentiate in ways conforming to its natural development
  5. verb
    teach or refine to be discriminative in taste or judgment
    Train your tastebuds”
    synonyms: civilise, civilize, cultivate, educate, school
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    types:
    sophisticate
    make less natural or innocent
    type of:
    down, fine-tune, polish, refine
    improve or perfect by pruning or polishing
  6. verb
    undergo training or instruction in preparation for a particular role, function, or profession
    “She is training to be a teacher”
    “He trained as a legal aid”
    synonyms: prepare
    develop, educate, prepare
    create by training and teaching
    groom, prepare
    educate for a future role or function
    see moresee less
    types:
    apprentice
    be or work as an apprentice
    retrain
    train again
    drill
    undergo military training or do military exercises
    type of:
    learn, read, study, take
    be a student of a certain subject
  7. verb
    exercise in order to prepare for an event or competition
    “She is training for the Olympics”
    Synonyms:
    coach
    teach and supervise (someone); act as a trainer or coach (to), as in sports
    see moresee less
    type of:
    exercise, work out
    do physical exercise
  8. verb
    cause to grow in a certain way by tying and pruning it
    train the vine”
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    types:
    trellis
    train on a trellis, as of a vine
    type of:
    check, contain, control, curb, hold, hold in, moderate
    lessen the intensity of; temper; hold in restraint; hold or keep within limits
  9. verb
    point or cause to go (blows, weapons, or objects such as photographic equipment) towards
    synonyms: aim, direct, take, take aim
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    types:
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    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)
    address
    direct a question at someone
    home in, range in, zero in
    direct onto a point or target, especially by automatic navigational aids
    type of:
    position
    cause to be in an appropriate place, state, or relation
  10. noun
    a sequentially ordered set of things or events or ideas in which each successive member is related to the preceding
    train of mourners”
    “a train of thought”
    synonyms: string
    see moresee less
    type of:
    series
    similar things placed in order or happening one after another
  11. noun
    wheelwork consisting of a connected set of rotating gears by which force is transmitted or motion or torque is changed
    synonyms: gear, gearing, geartrain, power train
    see moresee less
    types:
    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
    type of:
    wheelwork
    mechanical device including an arrangement of wheel in a machine (especially a train of gears)
  12. noun
    a procession (of wagons or mules or camels) traveling together in single file
    “they joined the wagon train for safety”
    synonyms: caravan, wagon train
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    type of:
    procession
    the group action of a collection of people or animals or vehicles moving ahead in more or less regular formation
  13. noun
    public transport provided by a line of railway cars coupled together and drawn by a locomotive
    “express trains don't stop at Princeton Junction”
    synonyms: railroad train
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    types:
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    boat train
    a train taking passengers to or from a port
    car train
    a train that transports passengers and their automobiles
    freight train, rattler
    a railroad train consisting of freight cars
    hospital train
    a military train built to transport wounded troops to a hospital
    mail train
    a train that carries mail
    passenger train
    a train that carries passengers
    streamliner
    a streamlined train
    subway train
    a train that runs in a subway system
    bullet, bullet train
    a high-speed passenger train
    commuter, commuter train
    a passenger train that is ridden primarily by passengers who travel regularly from one place to another
    freight liner, liner train
    a long-distance express freight train between industrial centers and seaports with facilities for rapid loading and unloading of goods
    type of:
    public transport
    conveyance for passengers or mail or freight
  14. noun
    a series of consequences wrought by an event
    “it led to a train of disasters”
    see moresee less
    type of:
    aftermath, consequence
    the outcome of an event especially as relative to an individual
  15. verb
    travel by rail or train
    “She trained to Hamburg”
    synonyms: rail
    see moresee less
    type of:
    ride
    be carried or travel on or in a vehicle
  16. noun
    piece of cloth forming the long back section of a gown that is drawn along the floor
    “the bride's train was carried by her two young nephews”
    see moresee less
    type of:
    piece of cloth, piece of material
    a separate part consisting of fabric
  17. verb
    drag loosely along a surface; allow to sweep the ground
    “She trained her long scarf behind her”
    synonyms: trail
    trail
    hang down so as to drag along the ground
    see moresee less
    type of:
    drag
    pull, as against a resistance
Pronunciation
US

/treɪn/

UK

/treɪn/

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