Definition of "trail"

Our little life is but a gust That bends the branches of thy tree, And trails its blossoms in the dust!

1896, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Poetical Works of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, page 287

Even now I behold a sign, A threatening of wrath divine, A watery, wandering star, through whose streaming hair, and the white Unfolding garments of light, That trail behind it afar, The constellations shine!

1871, The Divine Tragedy, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The flowers glowed red and golden: snapdragons and sunflowers, and nasturtians trailing all over the turf walls and peeping in at the round windows.

1954 July 29, J.R.R. Tolkien, “I: A Long-Expected Party”, in The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings; 1)

Neil Lennon and his players have, in almost no time at all, roared back from trailing Rangers by 15 points in November to ending the year two points clear.

2011 December 29, Keith Jackson, “SPL: Celtic 1 Rangers 0”, in Daily Record

The sun shone on burnished bodies and arm-bands, and robes of beaver trailed the grass as majestic fellows trod back and forth in the passion of eloquence.

1893 August, Mary Hartwell Catherwood, “The White Islander”, in The Century

[…] was no mean judge of racing and, having a suspicion of the possible result, she secreted a lemon in the commodious recesses of a dress which, while the height of fashion in those times, nevertheless trailed the grass.

1929, Frank Proctor, Fox Hunting in Canada and Some Men who Made it, page 162

Because of the potential damages caused by social trailing, regulations stipulate that all permits are void when a group obtains multiple permits for the same campground or use area for the same night.

1975, Federal Procedural Forms, Lawyers Edition - Volume 14, page 241

The monument would use the floowing indicators to determine when and where visitor allocations need to be made: (1) resource damage (e.g., proliferation of campsites, human waste problems, social trailing or vandalism to historical, archaeological, paleontological sites, or destruction of biological soil crusts), […]

1999, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, page 2-19

In my mind's eye, I looked down at the toes of high-topped, lace-up leather boots, peeking from under a long brown skirt that bent the grass sideways as it trailed the ground and tented gently outward with every step.

2018, Amy E. Weldon, The Writer's Eye, page 77

Trailed three miles down the North side and encamped early, making thirteen miles trailed to-day.

1906, The Quarterly of the Oregon Historical Society, page 352

In accordance with the treaty of 1842 they crossed the Missouri River to a reservation in Kansas. Poor crops, however, and a feverish climate made them unhappy in their new home: they trailed back to Iowa.

1915, Jacob Van der Zee, Early History of Lead Mining in the Iowa Country, page 8

But we did not see him and now, in the big heat of noon, we made three long circles around some hills and finally came out into a meadow full of little, humpy Masai cattle and, leaving all shade behind, trailed back across the open country under the noon sun to the car.

1935, Ernest Hemmingway, Green Hills of Africa, page 164

That control became visible each spring when they trailed back out of the low country to summer range.

1982, David Lavender, Colorado River Country, page 144

One operator on the Boise Forest in Idaho reports that where he formerly marketed 80-pound lambs after trailing them 10 days from the allotment, his lambs now often tip the scales at 100 pounds or better, mainly because only one day is required to transport an entire shipment to the railroad through the use of truck pullmans.

1939, Pacific Stockman - Volumes 5-7

Genesis, the first book of the Holy Bible, relates the earliest known instance of cattle being trailed to better grass lands (unless Noah's trip with the ark is one).

1956, John O. Bye, Back Trailing in the Heart of the Short-grass Country, page 6

The most impressive long-distance traders, however, were the backcountry drovers, who trailed herds of livestock up the wagon road to Philadelphia (Merrens 1964:135; Bridenbaugh 1971:138).

1989, John Solomon Otto, The Southern Frontiers, 1607-1860, page 53

In all areas where trails are present, stock must remain on the trails. Free trailing or loose herding is not permitted.

2008, Ron Kay, Ron Kay's Guide to Zion National Park, page 78

I presently perceived she was (what is vernacularly termed) trailing Mrs. Dent; that is, playing on her ignorance.

1847 October 16, Currer Bell [pseudonym; Charlotte Brontë], Jane Eyre. An Autobiography. […], volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Smith, Elder, and Co., […]