wheel tracks; rut; precedent; beaten path
Meanings
2 senses · 7 examplesnoun
wheel tracks; ruts left by carriage wheels
neutralRefers to the physical impressions left by wheels on a road surface, often used in descriptive or literary contexts.
The carriage left deep ruts on the muddy road.
The rainwater washed over the road surface, gradually filling in those old wheel tracks.
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With traffic passing through this road all year round, the ruts have been deeply carved into the soil.
noun
precedent; beaten path; course taken by predecessors
formalFigurative sense referring to established patterns, historical precedents, or paths taken by others, often implying following or avoiding past examples.
We should be bold in innovation rather than following the beaten paths of our predecessors.
History often advances along similar tracks.
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He does not want to follow the same failed course as his father.
There is no existing precedent to follow for this reform; we must explore on our own.