- track
- {{Roman}}I.{{/Roman}} noun1 marks left behind by a car/a person/an animalADJECTIVE▪ deep▪ fresh▪ animal, car, tyre/tire▪
The beach is criss-crossed with animal tracks.
VERB + TRACK▪ leave, make▪Rabbits had left tracks in the snow.
▪ cover, hide (both often figurative)▪He had been careless, and had done little to cover his tracks.
▪ followTRACK + NOUN▪ marksPREPOSITION▪ on the track of (often figurative)▪She felt the excitement of a journalist on the track of a good story.
PHRASES▪ freeze in your tracks, halt in your tracks, stop in your tracks (all figurative)▪ halt sb/sth in their/its tracks, stop sb/sth in their/its tracks (all figurative)▪The disease was stopped in its tracks by improved hygiene.
▪ make tracks (figurative)▪It's getting late—I'd better make tracks (= leave).
2 path/rough roadADJECTIVE▪ narrow▪ wide▪ steep▪ bumpy (esp. BrE), dusty, muddy, rough, rutted, sandy, stony (esp. BrE)▪ ancient▪ cinder (esp. BrE), dirt, mud▪ cart (esp. BrE), cycle, sheep (esp. BrE), ski▪ single▪a single-track road with passing places (BrE)
▪ farm, forest, forestry (BrE), mountain▪ perimeter▪A few planes were parked on the perimeter track of the airfield.
▪ mainVERB + TRACK▪ followTRACK + VERB▪ lead▪The track leads across a field.
▪ fork▪When the track forks, take the left fork.
PREPOSITION▪ along a/the track, down a/the track, up a/the track▪Continue along the farm track for another hundred yards.
PHRASES▪ off the beaten track (= not in a place that most people go to)▪ on the right track, onto the right track (both figurative)▪The new manager successfully got the team back onto the right track.
▪ on the wrong track (figurative)▪The police were on the wrong track when they treated the case as a revenge killing.
3 special path, often in a circle, for racingADJECTIVE▪ race (usually racetrack), running▪ indoor, outdoor▪ all-weather▪ training, warm-up▪ flagship (AmE)▪ oval▪ fast▪ eighth-mile, one-mile, etc.▪ dog, greyhound▪ harness (AmE)VERB + TRACK▪ build▪ operate, own▪The company already operates a greyhound track.
TRACK + NOUN▪ race▪ announcer (AmE)▪ official, superintendent (AmE), worker▪ operator, owner▪ surface▪ condition4 (AmE) athleticsTRACK + NOUN▪ championship, event, meet (see also track and field)▪ practice▪Yesterday I had track practice.
▪ athlete, runner▪ champion, star▪ team▪ coach5 metal rails on which a train runsADJECTIVE▪ rail, railroad (AmE), railway (BrE), train, tram▪ double, single▪ elevated▪ eastbound, westbound, etc.▪ narrow-gauge, standard-gaugeVERB + TRACK▪ lay▪ cross▪ come off (BrE), jump (AmE), leave▪The train had left the tracks.
TRACK + NOUN▪ layout6 direction/course that sb/sth takesADJECTIVE▪ fast, inside▪an inside track to the ear of government
▪ parallel, twin▪a twin-track approach to crime
▪ career▪She decided to change her career track.
▪ forecast (= the track that a storm, hurricane, etc. is predicted to take)VERB + TRACK▪ switch▪He switched tracks and went back to college.
PREPOSITION▪ along a/the track▪Sculpture developed along a similar track to painting.
▪ on (a/the) track▪A UN spokesman insisted that the implementation of the peace plan is back on track.
▪The ship was on a southerly track.
▪ track for▪She seems to be on the fast track for promotion.
▪ track to▪The country is on the fast track to democracy.
PHRASES▪ keep track of sth (= to know what is happening, where sth is, etc.)▪Keep track of all your payments by writing them down in a book.
▪ lose track of sth (= to not know what is happening, where sth is, etc.)▪I was so absorbed in my work that I lost track of time.
7 single song/piece of musicADJECTIVE▪ album▪ live▪ pre-recorded▪ title▪ lead, lead-off (AmE), opening▪ closing, final▪ main▪ unreleased▪ original▪ bonus▪ dance, disco▪ backing▪ drum, guitar, instrumental, rhythm, solo, vocal (see also soundtrack)▪ standout (AmE)▪This song is easily the disc's standout track (= the best track).
VERB + TRACK▪ create, cut, lay down, mix, produce, record▪She had already cut a couple of tracks as lead singer with her own group.
▪ write▪ remix▪ release▪ download▪ play▪ listen toTRACK + VERB▪ feature sb/sth, include sthTRACK + NOUN▪ title▪ list, listing{{Roman}}II.{{/Roman}}verbTrack is used with these nouns as the subject: ↑satelliteTrack is used with these nouns as the object: ↑development, ↑index, ↑missile, ↑movement, ↑performance, ↑progress, ↑shipment, ↑storm, ↑target, ↑usage
Collocations dictionary. 2013.
