track¹ / trak/ • n. 1. a rough path or minor road, typically one beaten by use rather than constructed: follow the track to the farm a forest track. ∎  a prepared course or circuit for athletes, horses, motor vehicles, bicycles, or dogs to race on: a Formula One Grand Prix track. ∎  the sport of running on such a track. ∎  (usu. tracks) a mark or line of marks left by a person, animal, or vehicle in passing: he followed the tracks made by the police cars in the snow. ∎  the course or route followed by someone or something (used esp. in talking about their pursuit by others): I didn't want the Russians on my track. ∎ fig. a course of action; a way of proceeding: defense budgeting and procurement do not move along different tracks from defense policy as a whole.2. a continuous line of rails on a railroad. ∎  a metal or plastic strip or rail from which a curtain or spotlight may be hung or fitted. ∎  a continuous articulated metal band around the wheels of a heavy vehicle such as a tank or bulldozer, intended to facilitate movement over rough or soft ground. ∎  Electr. a continuous line of copper or other conductive material on a printed circuit board, used to connect parts of a circuit. ∎  Sailing a strip on the mast, boom, or deck of a yacht along which a slide attached to a sail can be moved, used to adjust the position of the sail.3. a section of a record, compact disc, or cassette tape containing one song or piece of music: the CD contains early Elvis Presley tracks. ∎  a lengthwise strip of magnetic tape containing one sequence of signals. ∎  the soundtrack of a film or video.4. the transverse distance between a vehicle's wheels.5. a group in which schoolchildren of the same age and ability are taught.• v. [tr.] 1. follow the course or trail of (someone or something), typically in order to find them or note their location at various points: secondary radars that track the aircraft in flight he tracked Anna to her room. ∎ fig. follow and note the course or progress of: they are tracking the girth and evolution of stars. ∎  [intr.] follow a particular course: the storm was tracking across the ground at 30 mph. ∎  (of a stylus) follow (a groove in a record). ∎  [intr.] (of a film or television camera) move in relation to the subject being filmed: the camera eventually tracked away. ∎  (track something up) leave a trail of dirty footprints on a surface. ∎  (track something in) leave a trail of dirt, debris, or snow from one's feet: the road salt I'd tracked in from the street.2. [intr.] (of wheels) run so that the back ones are exactly in the track of the front ones.3. [intr.] Electr. (of a tunable circuit or component) vary in frequency in the same way as another circuit or component, so that the frequency difference between them remains constant.4. assign (a student) to a course of study according to ability.PHRASES: in one's tracks inf. where one or something is at that moment; suddenly: Turner immediately stopped dead in his tracks.keep (or lose) track of keep (or fail to keep) fully aware of or informed about: she had lost all track of time and had fallen asleep.make tracks (for) inf. leave hurriedly (for a place).off the beaten tracksee beaten.off the track departing from the right course of thinking or behavior.on the right (or wrong) track acting or thinking in a way that is likely to result in success (or failure): we are on the right track for continued growth.on track acting or thinking in a way that is likely to achieve what is required: formulas for keeping the economy on track.the wrong (or right) side of the tracks inf. a poor, less prestigious (or wealthy, prestigious) part of town.PHRASAL VERBS: track someone/something down find someone or something after a thorough or difficult search.track up (of a horse at the trot) create sufficient impulsion in its hindquarters to cause the hind feet to step on to or slightly ahead of the former position of the forefeet.track² • v. [tr.] tow (a boat) along a waterway from the bank.

track The path followed by the head over the surface of a recording medium (usually magnetic or optical). The tracks on magnetic disks are circular and concentric. On optical disks they may be similar but are more often turns of a continuous spiral path. Most magnetic tapes carry several tracks running the length of the tape; these may be written or read simultaneously (parallel recording) or, for other tape formats, one at a time (serial recording, or serpentine recording if alternate tracks are recorded in opposite directions). In helical scan recording the tracks run diagonally across the axis of the tape.

On CD-ROM optical disk, the word track is also used (as it is on compact audio disk) to define an item of the contents, of variable length, which may occupy many turns of the spiral path.

track A biogenic sedimentary structure grouped under the Scoyenia assemblage of trace fossils. The term may refer to a line of vertebrate footprints or to traces left by the limbs of arthropods (Arthropoda).

track off the beaten track in or into an isolated place.
on the right (or wrong) track following a course that is likely to result in success (or failure).
the wrong side of the tracks a poor or less prestigious part of town; with reference to the railway tracks of American towns, once serving as a line of demarcation between rich and poor quarters.

track mark left by the passage of something XV; line of travel or motion XVI; path laid down XIX. — (O)F. trac, perh. — MDu., LG. tre(c)k drawing, draught, pull.
Hence, or — F. traquer, track vb. XVI.