v. 1
To teach and form (someone) by practice; to educate (someone).
You can't train a pig to write poetry.
v. 2
To practice an ability.
She trained seven hours a day to prepare for the Olympics.
n. 1
Connected sequence of people or things. A group of animals, vehicles, or people that follow one another in a line, such as a wagon train; a caravan or procession.
Our party formed a train at the funeral parlor before departing for the burial.
n. 2
Elongated or trailing portion. The elongated back portion of a dress or skirt (or an ornamental piece of material added to similar effect), which drags along the ground.
Unfortunately, the leading bridesmaid stepped on the bride's train as they were walking down the aisle.

Related words

Word family: trainful trainiac trainload trainman trainmaster trainwoman trainability trainee
Phrases: train wreck train of thought local train express train power train gravy train sushi train trackless train

Forms

Plural: trains → gears, gearings, caravans, processions…
Past participle: trained
e.g. trained → educated, accustomed, prepared, guided…

Choose the right word

Train or Educate?

To train is to direct to a certain result powers already existing. Train is used in preference to educate when the reference is to the inferior animals or to the physical powers of man; as, to train a horse; to train the hand or eye.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

teach Not only did he teach school, but he wrote novels.
haul They only allowed carryons on the short-haul flight.
coach The coach doesn't know who the tallest student is.
rail Hold on to the rail while going down these stairs.
groom The bride and groom kissed when the ceremony ended.

Popularity over time

Word	1850 → 2019	Trend
train		steady
teach		rising
haul		falling
coach		rising
rail		falling

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

3 letters: aim¹, tug¹
4 letters: take¹, line¹, race¹, draw¹, gear¹, rail¹, rear¹, drag¹, haul¹
5 letters: order², check¹, coach¹, guide¹, stick¹, teach¹, chain¹, trail¹, nurse¹, suite¹, drill¹, breed¹, tutor², groom¹
6 letters: school¹, season², course¹, series², direct², manage², heroin³, harden²
7 letters: develop³, prepare², educate³, caravan³, gearing², nurture², retinue³
8 letters: practice², exercise³, sequence², practise², instruct², accustom³, civilize³, civilise
9 letters: condition³, cultivate³, habituate
10 letters: discipline³, attendance³, succession³, procession³
11 letters: familiarize⁴, familiarise

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (order² = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français: entraîner