See sidetrack in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
Download JSON data for sidetrack meaning in English (9.4kB)
{
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "side",
"3": "track"
},
"expansion": "side + track",
"name": "compound"
}
],
"etymology_text": "side + track",
"forms": [
{
"form": "sidetracks",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "sidetrack (plural sidetracks)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "topical",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Rail transportation",
"orig": "en:Rail transportation",
"parents": [
"Transport",
"All topics",
"Fundamental"
],
"source": "w"
},
{
"_dis": "19 24 6 20 11 13 5 2",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A second, relatively short length of track just to the side of a railroad track, joined to the main track by switches at one or both ends, used either for unloading freight, or to allow two trains on a same track to meet (opposite directions) or pass (same direction); a railroad siding."
],
"id": "en-sidetrack-en-noun-VAbDxH-U",
"links": [
[
"rail transport",
"rail transport"
],
[
"track",
"track"
],
[
"railroad",
"railroad"
],
[
"switch",
"switch"
],
[
"freight",
"freight"
],
[
"meet",
"meet"
],
[
"pass",
"pass"
],
[
"railroad siding",
"siding"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(rail transport) A second, relatively short length of track just to the side of a railroad track, joined to the main track by switches at one or both ends, used either for unloading freight, or to allow two trains on a same track to meet (opposite directions) or pass (same direction); a railroad siding."
],
"topics": [
"rail-transport",
"railways",
"transport"
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "19 24 6 20 11 13 5 2",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Any auxiliary railroad track, as differentiated from a siding, that runs adjacent to the main track."
],
"id": "en-sidetrack-en-noun-Yk6sNFJw",
"links": [
[
"auxiliary",
"auxiliary"
],
[
"siding",
"siding"
],
[
"adjacent",
"adjacent"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(sometimes) Any auxiliary railroad track, as differentiated from a siding, that runs adjacent to the main track."
],
"tags": [
"sometimes"
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "topical",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Mining",
"orig": "en:Mining",
"parents": [
"Industries",
"Business",
"Economics",
"Society",
"Social sciences",
"All topics",
"Sciences",
"Fundamental"
],
"source": "w"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A smaller tunnel or well drilled as an auxiliary off a main tunnel or well."
],
"id": "en-sidetrack-en-noun-cl9O3J~X",
"links": [
[
"mining",
"mining#Noun"
],
[
"tunnel",
"tunnel"
],
[
"well",
"well"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(mining) A smaller tunnel or well drilled as an auxiliary off a main tunnel or well."
],
"topics": [
"business",
"mining"
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "19 24 6 20 11 13 5 2",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "Stay focused on the story; you keep getting lost in all of these little sidetracks."
}
],
"glosses": [
"An alternate train of thought, issue, topic, or activity, that is a deviation or distraction from the topic at hand or central activity, and secondary or subordinate in importance or effectiveness."
],
"id": "en-sidetrack-en-noun-YLjM-~~N",
"links": [
[
"train of thought",
"train of thought"
],
[
"issue",
"issue"
],
[
"topic",
"topic"
],
[
"activity",
"activity"
],
[
"deviation",
"deviation"
],
[
"distraction",
"distraction"
],
[
"importance",
"importance"
],
[
"effectiveness",
"effectiveness"
]
]
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"_dis1": "40 47 3 10",
"sense": "small railroad track for unloading, passing",
"word": "railroad siding"
},
{
"_dis1": "40 47 3 10",
"sense": "small railroad track for unloading, passing",
"word": "siding"
},
{
"_dis1": "40 47 3 10",
"sense": "small railroad track for unloading, passing",
"tags": [
"UK"
],
"word": "lay-by"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "side-track"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "side track"
}
],
"word": "sidetrack"
}
{
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "side",
"3": "track"
},
"expansion": "side + track",
"name": "compound"
}
],
"etymology_text": "side + track",
"forms": [
{
"form": "sidetracks",
"tags": [
"present",
"singular",
"third-person"
]
},
{
"form": "sidetracking",
"tags": [
"participle",
"present"
]
},
{
"form": "sidetracked",
"tags": [
"participle",
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "sidetracked",
"tags": [
"past"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "sidetrack (third-person singular simple present sidetracks, present participle sidetracking, simple past and past participle sidetracked)",
"name": "en-verb"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "topical",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Rail transportation",
"orig": "en:Rail transportation",
"parents": [
"Transport",
"All topics",
"Fundamental"
],
"source": "w"
},
{
"_dis": "19 24 6 20 11 13 5 2",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1951 January, R. A. H. Weight, “A Railway Recorder in Essex and Hertfordshire”, in Railway Magazine, page 46",
"text": "It was just after 5 p.m.; would the non-stop \"Capitals Limited\" come up next? It was due in at 5.30 and other trains are often side-tracked in its favour.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1961 July, J.Geoffrey Todd, “Impressions of railroading in the United States: Part Two”, in Trains Illustrated, page 423",
"text": "Two westbound freights were in the vicinity and the operator was kept busy passing them radio messages with the latest information on the late running of the streamliners, to allow the enginemen to keep moving until the last possible minute before they had to sidetrack their trains to let the fast trains overtake.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To divert (a locomotive or train) on to a lesser used track in order to allow other trains to pass."
],
"id": "en-sidetrack-en-verb-n-bcrnbs",
"links": [
[
"rail transport",
"rail transport"
],
[
"divert",
"divert"
],
[
"locomotive",
"locomotive"
],
[
"train",
"train"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(rail transport) To divert (a locomotive or train) on to a lesser used track in order to allow other trains to pass."
],
"topics": [
"rail-transport",
"railways",
"transport"
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "19 24 6 20 11 13 5 2",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "Sorry I'm late. I got sidetracked helping my friend move some furniture."
},
{
"text": "The politician sidetracked the reporter with a story about duck hunting instead of a direct response to the question that was asked."
},
{
"text": "I hope you can sidetrack the teacher with questions so we don't have to take the exam."
}
],
"glosses": [
"To divert or distract (someone) from a main issue or course of action with an alternate or less relevant topic or activity; or, to use deliberate trickery or sly wordplay when talking to (a person) in order to avoid discussion of a subject."
],
"id": "en-sidetrack-en-verb-60fqdGzt",
"links": [
[
"divert",
"divert"
],
[
"distract",
"distract"
],
[
"alternate",
"alternate"
],
[
"relevant",
"relevant"
],
[
"deliberate",
"deliberate"
],
[
"trickery",
"trickery"
],
[
"sly",
"sly"
],
[
"avoid",
"avoid"
]
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "17 47 34 2",
"code": "mi",
"lang": "Maori",
"sense": "to divert or distract",
"word": "whakakotiti"
},
{
"_dis1": "17 47 34 2",
"code": "mi",
"lang": "Maori",
"sense": "to divert or distract",
"word": "wawao"
},
{
"_dis1": "17 47 34 2",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "otvlekatʹsja",
"sense": "to divert or distract",
"word": "отвлекаться"
},
{
"_dis1": "17 47 34 2",
"code": "sh",
"lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
"sense": "to divert or distract",
"word": "odvlačiti"
},
{
"_dis1": "17 47 34 2",
"code": "sh",
"lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
"sense": "to divert or distract",
"word": "skretati s puta"
},
{
"_dis1": "17 47 34 2",
"code": "sh",
"lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
"sense": "to divert or distract",
"word": "voditi na stranputicu"
},
{
"_dis1": "17 47 34 2",
"code": "sh",
"lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
"sense": "to divert or distract",
"word": "skrenuti s puta"
}
]
},
{
"examples": [
{
"text": "The project was sidetracked in favor of a more popular program."
},
{
"text": "He has sidetracked this debate for far too long."
}
],
"glosses": [
"To sideline; to push aside; to divert or distract from, reducing (something) to a secondary or subordinate position."
],
"id": "en-sidetrack-en-verb-u1iMbBgN",
"links": [
[
"sideline",
"sideline"
],
[
"secondary",
"secondary"
],
[
"subordinate",
"subordinate"
]
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"text": "Just to sidetrack a little bit from the subject I will explain my reasoning."
},
{
"text": "To sidetrack for a moment, let me commend this team for their outstanding efforts."
}
],
"glosses": [
"To deviate briefly from the topic at hand."
],
"id": "en-sidetrack-en-verb-e8vIxeYL",
"links": [
[
"deviate",
"deviate"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(intransitive) To deviate briefly from the topic at hand."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"_dis1": "2 10 6 81",
"sense": "deviate from the topic at hand",
"word": "digress"
}
],
"tags": [
"intransitive"
]
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "side-track"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "side track"
}
],
"word": "sidetrack"
}
{
"categories": [
"English compound terms",
"English countable nouns",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English lemmas",
"English nouns",
"English verbs"
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "side",
"3": "track"
},
"expansion": "side + track",
"name": "compound"
}
],
"etymology_text": "side + track",
"forms": [
{
"form": "sidetracks",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "sidetrack (plural sidetracks)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"en:Rail transportation"
],
"glosses": [
"A second, relatively short length of track just to the side of a railroad track, joined to the main track by switches at one or both ends, used either for unloading freight, or to allow two trains on a same track to meet (opposite directions) or pass (same direction); a railroad siding."
],
"links": [
[
"rail transport",
"rail transport"
],
[
"track",
"track"
],
[
"railroad",
"railroad"
],
[
"switch",
"switch"
],
[
"freight",
"freight"
],
[
"meet",
"meet"
],
[
"pass",
"pass"
],
[
"railroad siding",
"siding"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(rail transport) A second, relatively short length of track just to the side of a railroad track, joined to the main track by switches at one or both ends, used either for unloading freight, or to allow two trains on a same track to meet (opposite directions) or pass (same direction); a railroad siding."
],
"topics": [
"rail-transport",
"railways",
"transport"
]
},
{
"glosses": [
"Any auxiliary railroad track, as differentiated from a siding, that runs adjacent to the main track."
],
"links": [
[
"auxiliary",
"auxiliary"
],
[
"siding",
"siding"
],
[
"adjacent",
"adjacent"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(sometimes) Any auxiliary railroad track, as differentiated from a siding, that runs adjacent to the main track."
],
"tags": [
"sometimes"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"en:Mining"
],
"glosses": [
"A smaller tunnel or well drilled as an auxiliary off a main tunnel or well."
],
"links": [
[
"mining",
"mining#Noun"
],
[
"tunnel",
"tunnel"
],
[
"well",
"well"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(mining) A smaller tunnel or well drilled as an auxiliary off a main tunnel or well."
],
"topics": [
"business",
"mining"
]
},
{
"examples": [
{
"text": "Stay focused on the story; you keep getting lost in all of these little sidetracks."
}
],
"glosses": [
"An alternate train of thought, issue, topic, or activity, that is a deviation or distraction from the topic at hand or central activity, and secondary or subordinate in importance or effectiveness."
],
"links": [
[
"train of thought",
"train of thought"
],
[
"issue",
"issue"
],
[
"topic",
"topic"
],
[
"activity",
"activity"
],
[
"deviation",
"deviation"
],
[
"distraction",
"distraction"
],
[
"importance",
"importance"
],
[
"effectiveness",
"effectiveness"
]
]
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"sense": "small railroad track for unloading, passing",
"word": "railroad siding"
},
{
"sense": "small railroad track for unloading, passing",
"word": "siding"
},
{
"sense": "small railroad track for unloading, passing",
"tags": [
"UK"
],
"word": "lay-by"
},
{
"word": "side-track"
},
{
"word": "side track"
}
],
"word": "sidetrack"
}
{
"categories": [
"English compound terms",
"English countable nouns",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English lemmas",
"English nouns",
"English verbs"
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "side",
"3": "track"
},
"expansion": "side + track",
"name": "compound"
}
],
"etymology_text": "side + track",
"forms": [
{
"form": "sidetracks",
"tags": [
"present",
"singular",
"third-person"
]
},
{
"form": "sidetracking",
"tags": [
"participle",
"present"
]
},
{
"form": "sidetracked",
"tags": [
"participle",
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "sidetracked",
"tags": [
"past"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "sidetrack (third-person singular simple present sidetracks, present participle sidetracking, simple past and past participle sidetracked)",
"name": "en-verb"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English terms with quotations",
"en:Rail transportation"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1951 January, R. A. H. Weight, “A Railway Recorder in Essex and Hertfordshire”, in Railway Magazine, page 46",
"text": "It was just after 5 p.m.; would the non-stop \"Capitals Limited\" come up next? It was due in at 5.30 and other trains are often side-tracked in its favour.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1961 July, J.Geoffrey Todd, “Impressions of railroading in the United States: Part Two”, in Trains Illustrated, page 423",
"text": "Two westbound freights were in the vicinity and the operator was kept busy passing them radio messages with the latest information on the late running of the streamliners, to allow the enginemen to keep moving until the last possible minute before they had to sidetrack their trains to let the fast trains overtake.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To divert (a locomotive or train) on to a lesser used track in order to allow other trains to pass."
],
"links": [
[
"rail transport",
"rail transport"
],
[
"divert",
"divert"
],
[
"locomotive",
"locomotive"
],
[
"train",
"train"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(rail transport) To divert (a locomotive or train) on to a lesser used track in order to allow other trains to pass."
],
"topics": [
"rail-transport",
"railways",
"transport"
]
},
{
"examples": [
{
"text": "Sorry I'm late. I got sidetracked helping my friend move some furniture."
},
{
"text": "The politician sidetracked the reporter with a story about duck hunting instead of a direct response to the question that was asked."
},
{
"text": "I hope you can sidetrack the teacher with questions so we don't have to take the exam."
}
],
"glosses": [
"To divert or distract (someone) from a main issue or course of action with an alternate or less relevant topic or activity; or, to use deliberate trickery or sly wordplay when talking to (a person) in order to avoid discussion of a subject."
],
"links": [
[
"divert",
"divert"
],
[
"distract",
"distract"
],
[
"alternate",
"alternate"
],
[
"relevant",
"relevant"
],
[
"deliberate",
"deliberate"
],
[
"trickery",
"trickery"
],
[
"sly",
"sly"
],
[
"avoid",
"avoid"
]
]
},
{
"examples": [
{
"text": "The project was sidetracked in favor of a more popular program."
},
{
"text": "He has sidetracked this debate for far too long."
}
],
"glosses": [
"To sideline; to push aside; to divert or distract from, reducing (something) to a secondary or subordinate position."
],
"links": [
[
"sideline",
"sideline"
],
[
"secondary",
"secondary"
],
[
"subordinate",
"subordinate"
]
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English intransitive verbs"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "Just to sidetrack a little bit from the subject I will explain my reasoning."
},
{
"text": "To sidetrack for a moment, let me commend this team for their outstanding efforts."
}
],
"glosses": [
"To deviate briefly from the topic at hand."
],
"links": [
[
"deviate",
"deviate"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(intransitive) To deviate briefly from the topic at hand."
],
"tags": [
"intransitive"
]
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"sense": "deviate from the topic at hand",
"word": "digress"
},
{
"word": "side-track"
},
{
"word": "side track"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "mi",
"lang": "Maori",
"sense": "to divert or distract",
"word": "whakakotiti"
},
{
"code": "mi",
"lang": "Maori",
"sense": "to divert or distract",
"word": "wawao"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "otvlekatʹsja",
"sense": "to divert or distract",
"word": "отвлекаться"
},
{
"code": "sh",
"lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
"sense": "to divert or distract",
"word": "odvlačiti"
},
{
"code": "sh",
"lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
"sense": "to divert or distract",
"word": "skretati s puta"
},
{
"code": "sh",
"lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
"sense": "to divert or distract",
"word": "voditi na stranputicu"
},
{
"code": "sh",
"lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
"sense": "to divert or distract",
"word": "skrenuti s puta"
}
],
"word": "sidetrack"
}
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.