Dictionary Definition
train
Noun
1 public transport provided by a line of railway
cars coupled together and drawn by a locomotive; "express trains
don't stop at Princeton Junction" [syn: railroad
train]
2 a sequentially ordered set of things or events
or ideas in which each successive member is related to the
preceding; "a string of islands"; "train of mourners"; "a train of
thought" [syn: string]
3 a procession (of wagons or mules or camels)
traveling together in single file; "we were part of a caravan of
almost a thousand camels"; "they joined the wagon train for safety"
[syn: caravan, wagon
train]
4 a series of consequences wrought by an event;
"it led to a train of disasters"
5 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"
6 wheelwork consisting of a connected set of
rotating gears by which force is transmitted or motion or torque is
changed; "the fool got his tie caught in the geartrain" [syn:
gearing, gears, geartrain, power
train]
Verb
1 create by training and teaching; "The old
master is training world-class violinists"; "we develop the leaders
for the future" [syn: develop, prepare, educate]
2 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" [syn: prepare]
3 train by instruction and practice; especially
to teach self-control; "Parents must discipline their children";
"Is this dog trained?" [syn: discipline, check, condition]
4 prepare (someone) for a future role or
function; "He is grooming his son to become his successor"; "The
prince was prepared to become King one day"; "They trained him to
be a warrior" [syn: prepare, groom]
5 train to be discriminative in taste or
judgment; "Cultivate your musical taste"; "Train your tastebuds";
"She is well schooled in poetry" [syn: educate, school, cultivate, civilize, civilise]
6 aim or direct at; as of blows, weapons, or
objects such as photographic equipment; "Please don't aim at your
little brother!"; "He trained his gun on the burglar"; "Don't train
your camera on the women"; "Take a swipe at one's opponent" [syn:
aim, take, take aim,
direct]
7 teach and supervise (someone); act as a trainer
or coach (to), as in sports; "He is training our Olympic team";
"She is coaching the crew" [syn: coach]
8 exercise in order to prepare for an event or
competition; "She is training for the Olympics"
9 train to grow in a certain way by tying and
pruning it; "train the vine"
10 travel by rail or train; "They railed from
Rome to Venice"; "She trained to Hamburg" [syn: rail]
11 drag loosely along a surface; allow to sweep
the ground; "The toddler was trailing his pants"; "She trained her
long scarf behind her" [syn: trail]
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Pronunciation
- /treɪn/
- Rhymes: -eɪn
Etymology
From train (noun). The verb is from the noun.Noun
- A line of connected
cars or carriages pushed or pulled by
one or more locomotives, especially a
railroad train which
travels on a set of tracks.
- We rode the train to Mumbai.
- A group of animals,
vehicles, or people that follow one another in a line, such as a wagon train; a
caravan or procession.
- Our party formed a train at the funeral parlor before departing for the burial.
- A sequence of events or ideas which are interconnected; a train of events or a train of thought.
- A series of electrical pulses.
- A set of interconnected mechanical parts like the drive train of a car.
- That which is drawn
along, like the part of a gown which trails behind the
wearer.
- The train of her bridal gown caught on a nail.
Translations
line of connected cars or carriages
- Arabic:
- Bosnian: voz, vlak
- Breton: tren , trenioù p
- Bulgarian: влак
- Catalan: tren
- Chinese: 火車, 火车 (huǒchē)
- Croatian: vlak
- Czech: vlak
- Danish: tog
- Dutch: trein
- Esperanto: trajno, vagonaro
- Estonian: rong
- Finnish: juna
- French: train
- German: Zug
- Greek: αμαξοστοιχία (amaxostikhía) , τραίνο / τρένο (treno)
- Hebrew: רכבת (rākevet)
- Hungarian: vonat
- Icelandic: lest
- Ido: treno
- Interlingua: traino
- Italian: treno
- Japanese: 列車 (れっしゃ, ressha)
- Korean: 기차 (氣車, gicha)
- Kurdish:
- Sorani: شهمهنهفهر
- Lithuanian: traukinys
- Macedonian: воз (voz)
- Malayalam: തീവണ്ടി (theevaNti)
- Ojibwe: ishkodewidaabaan
- Polish: pociąg
- Portuguese: trem, comboio
- Romanian: tren
- Russian: поезд
- Serbian:
- Slovene: vlak
- Spanish: tren
- Swedish: tåg , persontåg , godståg (freight)
- Welsh: trên
group of animals, vehicles, or people
- Bosnian: svita , pratnja
- Breton: karavanenn , karavanennoù p
- Croatian: svita , pratnja
- Dutch: karavaan , rij , stoet
- Finnish: kulkue, jono
- Hebrew: שיירה (shāyārā)
- Hungarian: karaván
- Interlingua: caravana
- Japanese: 行列(ぎょうれつ, gyōretsu)
- Polish: orszak , świta , sznur
- Serbian:
- Swedish: tåg
- Welsh: gosgordd
series of events or ideas which are
interconnected
series of electric pulses
set of interconnected mechanical parts
- Polish: układ, zespół
that which is drawn along
- Dutch: sleep
- French: traîne
- Interlingua: traino
- Japanese: 尾(お, o)
- Polish: ogon (slang), tren
- ttbc Indonesian: kereta api
- ttbc Malaysian: keretapi
Verb
- To practice an
ability.
- She trained seven hours a day to prepare for the Olympics.
- To teach a task.
- You can't train a pig to write poetry.
- To improve ones
fitness.
- I trained with weights all winter.
- To proceed in sequence.
- To move (a gun) laterally so that it points in
a different direction.
- The assassin had trained his gun on the minister.
- (Horticulture) To encourage (a plant or branch) to grow in a particular direction or shape, usually by pruning and bending.
Translations
practice an ability- Bosnian: obučavati se
- Dutch: trainen, oefenen
- Esperanto: trejni
- Finnish: harjoitella, treenata
- French: s'entraîner
- German: üben
- Greek: προπονούμαι (proponúme), εξασκούμαι (exaskúme)
- Hebrew: לתרגל (l'tārgel)
- Interlingua: trainar
- Japanese: 練習する (れんしゅうする, renshūsuru), 鍛える (きたえる, kitaeru)
- Malayalam: പരിശീലിയ്ക്കുക (pariSeelikkuka)
- Norwegian: trene, øve
- Polish: ćwiczyć, trenować
- Portuguese: treinar, praticar
- Serbian:
- Cyrillic:
обучавати се
- Roman: obučavati se
- Cyrillic:
обучавати се
- Spanish: entrenar
- Swedish: träna, öva
- Bosnian: obučavati
- Dutch: trainen, oefenen
- Esperanto: trejni
- Finnish: treenata, harjoittaa, opettaa
- French: former, dompter (for animals)
- Greek: προπονώ (proponó), εξασκώ (exaskó)
- Japanese: 訓練する (くんれんする, kunrensuru)
- Polish: ćwiczyć, trenować
- Serbian:
- Spanish: entrenar
- Swedish: träna
- Greek: γυμνάζομαι (gymnazome) (1), γυμνάζω (gymnazo) (2)
- Hebrew: להתאמן (l'hitʾāmen)
- Interlingua: trainar
- Norwegian: trene, mosjonere
- Polish: ćwiczyć, trenować
- Swedish: träna
- Finnish: edetä (jonossa)
- Polish: przesuwać się
- Swedish: tåga
Derived terms
French
Pronunciation
- /tʁɛ̃/
- SAMPA: /tRE~/
Etymology
From trainer, from *traginare.Noun
fr-noun mDerived terms
Extensive Definition
- For other uses see Train (disambiguation) and Trains (disambiguation)
The word 'train' comes from the Old French
trahiner, itself from the Latin trahere 'pull,
draw'.
Types of trains
There are various types of train designed for particular purposes. A train can consist of a combination of one or more locomotives and attached railroad cars, or a self-propelled multiple unit (or occasionally a single powered coach, called a railcar). Trains can also be hauled by horses, pulled by a cable, or run downhill by gravity.Special kinds of trains running on corresponding
special 'railways' are atmospheric
railways, monorails, high-speed
railways, maglev,
rubber-tired
underground, funicular and cog
railways.
A passenger train may consist of one or several
locomotives, and one or more coaches. Alternatively, a train may
consist entirely of passenger carrying coaches, some or all of
which are powered as a "multiple
unit". In many parts of the world, particularly Japan and Europe, high-speed
rail is utilized extensively for passenger travel.
Freight trains comprise wagons or trucks rather
than carriages, though some parcel and mail trains (especially
Travelling
Post Offices) are outwardly more like passenger trains.
Trains can also be 'mixed', comprising both
passenger accommodation and freight vehicles. Such mixed trains are
most likely to occur where services are infrequent, and running
separate passenger and freight trains is not cost-effective, though
the differing needs of passengers and freight usually means this is
avoided where possible.
Special trains are also used for
track maintenance; in some places, this is called maintenance
of way.
In the United
Kingdom, a train hauled by two locomotives is said to be
"double-headed", and in Canada and the
United
States it is quite common for a long freight train to be headed
by three or more locomotives. A train with a locomotive attached at
each end is described as 'top and tailed', this practice typically
being used when there are no reversing facilities available. Where
a second locomotive is attached temporarily to assist a train up
steep banks or grades (or down them by providing braking power) it
is referred to as 'banking' in
the UK, or 'helper service' in North America. Recently, many loaded
trains in the US have been made up with one or more locomotives in
the middle or at the rear of the train, operated remotely from the
lead cab. This is referred to as "DP" or "Distributed Power."
Official terminology
The railway terminology that is used to describe a 'train' varies between countries.In the United Kingdom, the interchangeable terms set and unit are used to refer to a group of permanently or semi-permanently coupled vehicles, such as those of a multiple unit. While when referring to a train made up of a variety of vehicles, or of several sets/units, the term formation is used. (Although the UK public and media often forgo 'formation', for simply 'train'.) The word rake is also used for a group of coaches or wagons.In the United Kingdom Section 83(1) of the
Railways Act 1993 defines "train" as follows:
- a) two or more items of rolling stock coupled together, at
least one of which is a locomotive; or
- b) a locomotive not coupled to any other rolling stock.
The
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway's 1948 operating rules
define a train as: "An engine or more than one engine coupled, with
or without cars, displaying markers."
Motive power
The first trains were rope-hauled, gravity
powered or pulled by horses, but from the early 19th century almost
all were powered by steam
locomotives. From the 1920s onwards they began to be replaced
by less labour intensive and cleaner (but more complex and
expensive) diesel
locomotives and electric
locomotives, while at about the same time self-propelled
multiple
unit vehicles of either power system became much more common in
passenger service. In most countries dieselisation of
locomotives in day-to-day use was completed by the 1970s. A few
countries, most notably the
People's Republic of China, where coal and labour are cheap, still
use steam locomotives, but this is being gradually phased out.
Historic steam trains still run in many other countries, for the
leisure and enthusiast market.
Electric traction offers a lower cost per mile of
train operation but at a higher initial cost, which can only be
justified on high traffic lines. Since the cost per mile of
construction is much higher, electric traction is less favored on
long-distance lines with the exception of long-distance high speed
lines. Electric trains receive their current via overhead
lines or through a
third rail electric system.
Passenger trains
A passenger train is one which includes passenger-carrying vehicles. It may be a self-powered multiple unit or railcar, or else a combination of one or more locomotives and one or more unpowered trailers known as coaches, cars or carriages. Passenger trains travel between stations where passengers may join or leave the train. Many of the more prestigious passenger train services have been given a specific name, some of which have become famous in literature and fiction. India has the largest passenger density in the world.India has one of the largest passenger density due to a great population, referring to a population chart of India, yet it is only one of the most populated countries, but is the only populated one to have the greatest passenger density out of the other countries.Long-distance trains
Long-distance trains travel between many cities and/or regions of a country, and sometimes cross several countries. They often have a dining car or restaurant car to allow passengers to have a meal during the course of their journey. Trains traveling overnight may also have sleeping cars.High-speed trains
High speed trains normally travel during the day. They compete with airliners in speed . In Japan, most of the public transportation between the Tokyo metropolitan area and the Osaka metropolitan area (with around 500 km in distance between them) is dominated by the Shinkansen, however in travel further than around 500 km (such as Tokyo-Hiroshima) more people prefer to travel by air.Very fast trains sometimes tilt, like
the APT,
the Pendolino, or the
Talgo.
Tilting is a system where the passenger cars automatically lean
into curves, reducing
the sideways g-forces on
passengers and permitting higher speeds on curves in the track with
greater passenger comfort.
The fastest train on rails is the French TGV (Train à Grande
Vitesse) (French for High Speed Train) which achieved a 574.8 km/h
(356 mph) speed in testing in 2007. However, TGVs run at a maximum
commercial speed of 300-320 km/h. The German ICE
uses this commercial speed of 300-320 km/h as well.
Inter-city trains
Trains connecting cities can be distinguished into two groups, inter-city trains, which do not halt at small stations, and trains that serve all stations, usually known as local trains or "stoppers" (and sometimes an intermediate type, usually known as limited-stop).Branch line trains
Branch lines are usually defined as connections to local stations or local lines and usually stopping services, running to all stations or the majority of stations on a line.Commuter trains
For shorter distances many cities have networks of commuter trains, serving the city and its suburbs. Some carriages may be laid out to have more standing room than seats, or to facilitate the carrying of prams, cycles or wheelchairs. Some countries have double-decked passenger trains for use in conurbations. Double deck high speed and sleeper trains are becoming more common in mainland Europe.Passenger trains usually have emergency
brake handles (or a "communication cord") that the public can
operate. Abuse is punished by a heavy fine.
Large cities often have a metro system, also called
underground, subway or tube. The trains are electrically powered,
usually by third rail,
and their railroads are separate from other traffic, without
level
crossings. Usually they run in tunnels in the city center and
sometimes on elevated structures in the outer parts of the city.
They can accelerate and decelerate faster than heavier,
long-distance trains.
A light one- or two-car rail vehicle running
through the streets is by convention not considered a train but
rather a tram, trolley,
light-rail vehicle or streetcar, but the distinction is not always
strict. In some countries such as the United Kingdom the
distinction between a tramway and a railway is precise and defined
in law.
The term light rail is
sometimes used for a modern tram, but it may also mean an
intermediate form between a tram and a train, similar to metro
except that it may have level crossings. These are often protected
with crossing gates. They may also be called a trolley.
The term rapid
transit is used for public transport such as commuter trains,
metro and light rail. However, in New York City, lines on the
New
York City Subway have been referred to as "trains".
Some commuter trains in Tokyo, Japan have special
cars which the bench seats fold up to provide standing room only
during the morning rush hour (until 10 a.m.). The E231 series
train has two of these cars in each set (usually as part of a 10-
or 11-car set), officially nicknamed "roku-tobira-sha" (literally,
"6 door car") - all the other cars have four sets of doors on each
side.
An estimated 3.5 million passengers ride every
day on Tokyo's Yamanote
Line, with its 29 stations. For comparison, the New York City
Subway carries 4.8 million passengers per day on 26 lines serving
468 stations.
Named trains
Railway companies often give a name to a train service as a marketing exercise, to raise the profile of the service and hence attract more passengers (and also to gain kudos for the company). Usually, naming is reserved for the most prestigious trains: the high-speed express trains between major cities, stopping at few intermediate stations. The names of services such as the Orient Express, the Flying Scotsman, the Flèche d’Or and the Royal Scot have passed into popular culture.seealso Famous
trains seealso Passenger
trains
A somewhat less common practice is the naming of
freight trains, for the same commercial reasons. The "Condor" was
an overnight London-Glasgow express
goods train, in the 1960s, hauled by pairs of "Metrovick"
diesel locomotives. In the mid-1960s, British Rail
introduced the "Freightliner"
brand, for the new train services carrying containers between
dedicated terminals around the rail network. The Rev. W. Awdry
also named freight trains, coining the term The
Flying Kipper for the overnight express fish train that
appeared in his stories in The
Railway Series books.
Freight trains
A freight train (also known as goods train) uses
freight
cars (also known as wagons or trucks) to transport goods or
materials (cargo)
– essentially any train that is not used for carrying
passengers. Much of the world's freight is transported by train,
and in the USA the
rail system is used more for transporting freight than
passengers.
Under the right circumstances, transporting
freight by train is highly economic, and also more energy efficient
than transporting freight by road. Rail freight is most economic
when freight is being carried in bulk and over long distances, but
is less suited to short distances and small loads. Bulk aggregate
movements of a mere twenty miles (32 km) can be cost effective even
allowing for trans-shipment costs. These trans-shipment costs
dominate in many cases and many modern practices such as container freight are
aimed at minimizing these.
The main disadvantage of rail freight is its lack
of flexibility. For this reason, rail has lost much of the freight
business to road
competition. Many governments are now trying to encourage more
freight onto trains, because of the benefits that it would
bring.
There are many different types of freight trains,
which are used to carry many different kinds of freight, with many
different types of wagons.
One of the most common types on modern railways are container
trains, where containers can be lifted on and off the train by
cranes
and loaded off or onto trucks or ships.
This type of freight train has largely superseded
the traditional boxcar
(wagon-load) type of freight train, with which the cargo has to be
loaded or unloaded manually.
In some countries "piggy-back"
trains are used: trucks
can drive straight onto the train and drive off again when the end
destination is reached. A system like this is used through the
Channel
Tunnel between England and
France, and
for the trans-Alpine service between France and Italy (this service
uses
Modalohr road trailer carriers). 'Piggy-back' trains are the
fastest growing type of freight trains in the United States, where
they are also known as 'trailer on
flatcar' or TOFC trains.
'Piggy-back' trains require no special modifications to the
vehicles being carried. An alternative type of "inter-modal"
vehicle, known as a Roadrailer, is
designed to be physically attached to the train. The original
trailers were fitted with two sets of wheels: one set flanged, for
the trailer to run connected to other such trailers as a rail
vehicle in a train; and one set tyred, for use as the semi-trailer
of a road vehicle. More modern trailers have only road wheels and
are designed to be carried on specially adapted bogies (trucks) when moving on
rails.
There are also many other types of wagons,
such as "low loader" wagons for transporting road vehicles. There
are refrigerator
cars for transporting foods such as ice cream. There are
simple types of open-topped
wagons for transporting minerals and bulk material such
as coal, and tankers for
transporting liquids and gases. Today however most coal and
aggregates are moved in hopper wagons
that can be filled and discharged rapidly, to enable efficient
handling of the materials.
Freight trains are sometimes illegally boarded by
passengers who do not wish to pay money, or do not have the money
to travel by ordinary means. This is referred to as "hopping" and is
considered by some communities to be a viable form of transport.
Most hoppers sneak into train yards and stow away in boxcars. More
bold hoppers will catch a train "on the fly", that is, as it is
moving, leading to occasional fatalities.
Gallery
See also
References
Further reading
- , 256 pp.
train in Arabic: قطار
train in Aragonese: Tren
train in Bosnian: Voz
train in Bulgarian: Влак
train in Catalan: Tren
train in Czech: Vlak
train in Welsh: Trên
train in Danish: Tog
train in Pennsylvania German: Train
train in German: Zug (Eisenbahn)
train in Estonian: Rong
train in Modern Greek (1453-): Τραίνο
train in Emiliano-Romagnolo: Trein
train in Spanish: Tren
train in Esperanto: Trajno
train in Basque: Tren
train in French: Train
train in Friulian: Tren
train in Irish: Traein
train in Galician: Tren
train in Korean: 기차
train in Hindi: रेलगाडी
train in Croatian: Vlak
train in Indonesian: Kereta api
train in Icelandic: Járnbrautarlest
train in Italian: Treno
train in Hebrew: רכבת
train in Swahili (macrolanguage): Treni
train in Kongo: Lukalu
train in Latin: Hamaxostichus
train in Latvian: Vilciens
train in Lithuanian: Traukinys
train in Lingala: Engbunduka
train in Hungarian: Vonat
train in Macedonian: Воз
train in Malayalam: തീവണ്ടി
train in Malay (macrolanguage): Kereta
api
nah:Tepozcōātl
train in Dutch: Trein
train in Cree: Ishkuteutapan
train in Japanese: 列車
train in Norwegian: Tog
train in Norwegian Nynorsk: Jarnbanetog
train in Uighur: پويىز
train in Polish: Pociąg
train in Portuguese: Trem
train in Kölsch: Zoch (Baan)
train in Romanian: Tren
train in Quechua: Antakuru
train in Russian: Поезд
train in Simple English: Train
train in Slovak: Vlak
train in Slovenian: Vlak
train in Serbian: Воз
train in Serbo-Croatian: Vlak
train in Finnish: Juna
train in Swedish: Tåg
train in Tamil: தொடர்வண்டி
train in Thai: รถไฟ
train in Vietnamese: Tàu hỏa
train in Turkish: Tren
train in Ukrainian: Поїзд
train in Urdu: قطار
train in Walloon: Trén
train in Vlaams: Tring
train in Yiddish: באן
train in Chinese: 鐵路列車
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
Amtrak,
Indian file, KP, acclimate, acclimatize, accommodate, accustom, adapt, adjust, afterpart, afterpiece, aim, aim at, allure, alternation, apprentice, army, army group, array, articulation, attend
classes, attend school, attendance, attendant, attendants, baggage train,
bait, bank, battalion, battery, battle group, bed, bed down, bend, body of retainers, break, break in, breed, bridle, brigade, bring up, brush, buzz, cable railroad, cadre, caravan, carriage, case harden, cast, catena, catenation, cavalcade, chain, chain reaction, chaining, choo-choo, coach, cog railroad, cog railway,
cohort, column, combat command, combat
team, company, concatenation, condition, confirm, connection, consecution, continuum, corps, cortege, course, court, cultivate, curry, currycomb, cycle, decoy, descent, detachment, detail, determine, develop, direct, directionize, discipline, division, domesticate, domesticize, drag, draggle, draw, drench, dress parade, drill, drone, edify, educate, el, electric, electric train,
elevated, endless belt,
endless round, entice,
entourage, escort, establish, exercise, express, express train, familiarize, feed, fetch up, field army, field
train, file, filiation, fit, fix, fix on, flier, flying column, flyover, fodder, follower, followers, following, form, foster, freight, freight train, freighter, funeral, funicular, gamut, garrison, gentle, go into training, go to
school, goods train, gradation, groom, guard, guide, habituate, hale, handle, harden, harness, haul, head, heave, hitch, hold on, house-train,
housebreak, household, hum, improve, incline, indoctrinate, instruct, interurban, inure, inveigle, kitchen police,
lay, lead on, legion, level, level at, lick into shape,
lightning express, limited, line, lineage, litter, local, lug, manage, maniple, march past, metro, milk, milk train, monorail, monotone, motorcade, mule train,
naturalize, nexus, nurse, nurture, order, organization, orient, orientate, outfit, pack train, parade, parasite, parliamentary,
parliamentary train, passenger train, pendulum, periodicity, phalanx, platoon, plenum, point, point at, point to,
pomp, posse, powder train, practice, prepare, present, procession, progression, promenade, pull, put in tune, put to school,
queue, rack-and-pinion
railroad, railroad train, raise, range, rank, rattler, read with, ready, rear, receive instruction, recurrence, regiment, rehearse, retainers, reticulation, retinue, review, rolling stock, rotation, round, rout, routine, row, rub down, run, saddle, satellite, scale, school, season, section, seduce, send to school, sequence, series, serve an apprenticeship,
set, shape, shuttle, shuttle train, sight
on, single file, skimmington, snake, special, spectrum, squad, squadron, staff, stream, streamliner, string, subway, succession, suite, swath, tab, tactical unit, tag, tail, tailpiece, take in hand, take
in tow, take lessons, tame,
task force, teach,
tempt, tend, thread, tier, toll, tow, trail, trailer, train upon, trawl, troll, troop, tube, tug, turn, turn upon, tutor, undergo schooling, underground, unit, wake, water, way train, windrow, wing, wont, work out, yoke