Trail \Trail\ (tr[=a]l), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Trailed; p. pr. &
   vb. n. Trailing.] [OE. trailen, OF. trailler to trail a
   deer, or hunt him upon a cold scent, also, to hunt or pursue
   him with a limehound, F. trailler to trail a fishing line;
   probably from a derivative of L. trahere to draw; cf. L.
   traha a drag, sledge, tragula a kind of drag net, a small
   sledge, Sp. trailla a leash, an instrument for leveling the
   ground, D. treilen to draw with a rope, to tow, treil a rope
   for drawing a boat. See Trace, v. t.]
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   1.
      (a) To hunt by the track; to track.
      (b) to follow behind.
      (c) To pursue. --Halliwell.
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   2. To draw or drag, as along the ground.
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            And hung his head, and trailed his legs along.
                                                  --Dryden.
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            They shall not trail me through their streets
            Like a wild beast.                    --Milton.
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            Long behind he trails his pompous robe. --Pope.
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   3. (Mil.) To carry, as a firearm, with the breech near the
      ground and the upper part inclined forward, the piece
      being held by the right hand near the middle.
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   4. To tread down, as grass, by walking through it; to lay
      flat. --Longfellow.
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   5. To take advantage of the ignorance of; to impose upon.
      [Prov. Eng.]
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            I presently perceived she was (what is vernacularly
            termed) trailing Mrs. Dent; that is, playing on her
            ignorance.                            --C. Bronte.
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