trailing

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɹeɪ.lɪŋ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪlɪŋ

Adjective

trailing (not comparable)

1. (rail transport, of points and crossovers) That converges in the direction of travel.
2. That follows behind; especially, that is attached and pulled behind.

   the trailing railcars

   the trailing comments

   no trailing whitespace characters

   • 1961 February, “New English Electric diesels for East Africa”, in Trains Illustrated, pages 90–91:

     On the long, continuous downgrades of East Africa dynamic braking is of special value; the traction motors are used as generators and their energy output dissipated in force-ventilated banks of resistors. This facility enables a 700-ton trailing load, for example, to be brought down a 1 in 66 gradient at any selected speed between 14 and 25 m.p.h. without use of the air brakes.

   • 2022 November 16, Paul Bigland, “From rural branches to high-speed arteries”, in RAIL, number 970, page 55:

     Having reversed at Eastbourne, I am in the trailing car, which leaps and fishtails around so much on our way to Bexhill that I have trouble writing coherent notes.

Antonyms

• facing
• leading

Derived terms

• trailing edge

Related terms

• trailer, semi-trailer, tractor-trailer

Translations

converging in the direction of travel

• German: anhängend (de), nachziehend (de), nachschleppend

Verb

trailing

1. present participle and gerund of trail

Noun

trailing (plural trailings)

1. Fabric or other material that trails.
   • 1901, Mary E. Wilkins, The Portion of Labor:

     […] their roots, projecting in fibrous sprawls from their trunks, were their feet, and she pictured them advancing with wide trailings, and rustlings as of green draperies […]

   • 2010, Regina S. Baraban, Joseph F. Durocher, Successful Restaurant Design:

     All too often, the spout of a soap dispenser rests over the counter and leaves trailings of soap that must be wiped up frequently if a clean appearance is to be maintained.

Derived terms

• coat-trailing
• semi-trailing
• trailing arbutus
• trailing axle
• trailing commission
• trailing edge
• trailing points
• trailing spring
• trailing truck
• trailing wheel

 

Anagrams

• Tringali, antigirl, ringtail, trialing