traîne-potence, n.m., (—) hang-gallows-fellow, Newgate-bird, gaol-bird, gallows-bird.
traîner, v.a., to draw, to drag, to drag along, to trail; to put off, to spin out, to draw out, to protract, to lengthen; to drawl. — un homme en prison; to drag a man off to prison. Il traîne la jambe; he drags his leg. Cet oiseau traîne l’aile; that bird hangs its wing. — ses paroles; to draw out one’s words. — les choses en longueur; to protract, or to delay, things. — dans la boue; to draggle; to defame. Laisser —; to leave littered about.
se traîner, v.r., to crawl, to creep along; to lag, to lag behind, to drag one’s self along.
traîner, v.n., to trail, to drag, to lag; to droop; to lie about; to languish, to linger, to be in abeyance or in suspense; to be spun out, to be protracted, to be drawn out, to be lengthened; to be found. Votre robe traîne; your gown sweeps the ground, drags along the ground. L’affaire traîne; the matter hangs fire. Il y a longtemps qu’il traîne; he has been in a lingering state for a long time. Cela traîne dans tous les livres; that is found in every book.
traînerie, n.f., dragging, drawling; string (of words); series, long speech.
traîneur, n.m., straggler, lagger; poacher (with a trammel); (nav.) ship lagging behind. — d’épée, — de sabre; trooper, sword dangler, swashbuckler.
train-train, n.m., routine, habits, regular course.
traire (trayant, trait), v.a., to milk, to draw.
trait, -e, part., milked; (of precious metals) wire-drawn.
trait, n.m., arrow, dart, bolt, shaft, thunderbolt; stroke, hit, trait; trace (of harness); leash (for dogs); turn (of the scale); draught, gulp; dash (of the pen); (paint.) touch; kerf (of a saw); feature, lineament; act; prime move (at chess, draughts); (c.rel.) tract; gold or silver wire. Au —; (of a drawing) in outline. — d’union; hyphen, connecting link. Décocher, lancer un —; to shoot, to let fly an arrow. Il partit comme un —; he darted off (like an arrow from the bow). —s de l’Amour; Love’s shafts. — piquant; smart hit. — de satire; satirical stroke. Chacun me lança son —; every one had a fling at me. —s de l’envie; shafts of envy. Avaler tout d’un —; to swallow at one draught. Boire à longs —s; to quaff. Avoir — à; to have reference to. À longs —s; deep, in long draughts. Copier — pour —; to copy stroke for stroke. — d’esprit; witticism, flash of wit. Cheval de —; draught-horse. D’un seul —; at a stretch. Boutons de —; gold or silver wire buttons. Ce sont là de ses —s; that is just like him, or some of his tricks.