In Britain, Trainers Are Shoes
A trainer instructs or coaches. In British English the plural also means the sports shoes Americans call sneakers.
A trainer is someone who trains people or animals. British English adds a second sense that catches visitors out: *trainers* are the shoes worn for sport and, mostly, for everything else — called *sneakers* in America, from the quietness of their rubber soles.
- Someone who trains others. *A personal trainer.*
- Sports shoes (British). *A pair of trainers.*
- A training aircraft. *A jet trainer.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | trainer | A racehorse trainer. |
| Plural | trainers | White trainers. |
| Verb | train | Train daily. |
| Noun | training | Staff training. |
| American | sneakers | New sneakers. |
How it is used in a sentence
- She works as a personal trainer.Fitness.
- He wore trainers to the interview.British footwear.
- The horse's trainer spoke afterwards.Racing.
Shoe words across the Atlantic
- Trainers / sneakers — athletic shoes
- Plimsolls / gym shoes — simple canvas shoes
- Pumps — flat shoes in Britain, court shoes in America
- Wellingtons / rain boots — rubber boots
- Slippers — the same everywhere, mercifully
From *train*, from Old French *trainer*, to drag or draw out, from Latin *trahere*. Training originally meant drawing something out into shape, as a plant is trained along a wall.
Why are they called sneakers?
Because rubber soles let the wearer walk silently, unlike the hard leather of earlier shoes. The name is American and dates from the 1880s.
Are train and tractor related?
Yes. Both come from Latin *trahere*, to pull. A train is a line of carriages drawn along, and training is drawing someone into shape.