track

A path or prepared route along which people, animals, or vehicles travel.

• We followed a track through the woods.
• The train stopped beside the damaged track.
• A narrow dirt track leads to the farm.

Similar words: path, trail, route

Common phrases: dirt track, railway track, forest track

One song or short piece of sound on an album or other recording.

• This is my favourite track.
• The album has twelve tracks.
• Have you heard the new band's opening track?

Similar words: song, number

Common phrases: opening track, bonus track, title track

Knowledge of where something is or how it is changing, usually gained by paying attention.

• I lost track of time.
• She keeps track of all her expenses.
• How do you keep track of so many appointments?

How to use it: keep track of someone/something (I use an app to keep track of my spending.); lose track of someone/something (We lost track of each other after leaving school.)

Common phrases: keep track of, lose track of

A course of progress towards a goal, especially when things are going as planned.

• Our plans are still on track.
• The team is on track to win the championship.
• A short meeting helped us get back on track.

How to use it: be on track to do something (We are on track to finish the work by June.); get something back on track (The new manager got the project back on track.)

Common phrases: on track, off track, back on track

A mark left on a surface by a foot, wheel, or something else passing over it.

• We saw animal tracks in the snow.
• The car left deep tracks in the mud.
• Can you tell which animal made this track?

Similar words: print, mark, footprint

Common phrases: animal track, tyre track, fresh track

A sport involving running races and often jumping or throwing events.

• She joined the school track team.
• He competed in track throughout college.
• The track meet was cancelled because of heavy rain.

Similar words: athletics, track and field

Common phrases: track and field, track team, track meet

To follow where someone or something goes, or check how something changes over time.

• You can track your parcel online.
• She tracked her progress in a notebook.
• Scientists are tracking the storm as it moves north.

Similar words: follow, monitor, trace

Common phrases: track progress, track a parcel, track someone's movements, track population changes

To find someone or something after searching carefully, usually used with down.

• I finally tracked down my old teacher.
• Can you track down a copy of this book?
• The police tracked the missing car down.

How to use it: track down someone/something (We managed to track down the owner of the lost bag.); track someone/something down (It took us weeks to track him down.)

Similar words: find, locate, trace

Common phrases: track down someone, track something down