Trailed

Trailed is the past tense and past participle of the verb trail. The term covers several related senses: to follow at a distance, to lag behind in movement, to drag something along behind, or to leave a visible mark or line as one moves. The verb is derived from the noun trail, which denotes a track or path left by someone or something.

In usage, trailed is commonly transitive and can take a direct object or be paired with behind to indicate lagging. For example, "The investigators trailed the suspect through the city" shows following another person over a distance. "The car trailed a cloud of dust behind it" describes a physical consequence of movement. In another sense, a group or vehicle can trail the lead through a route, as in "The convoy trailed the lead vehicle."

The term also appears in more figurative or descriptive contexts. For instance, "The artist trailed a line of color behind the brush" conveys leaving a visible mark. In astronomy or descriptive writing, one may speak of a comet or other object that trailed a tail or streamer, indicating a trailing feature seen behind it.

Etymology notes: trailed is formed from the noun trail, with usage dating to the Middle English period, reflecting the core idea of following, dragging, or extending behind.

See also: trail, trailing, tail, follow.