1. To teach someone the skills needed to do something; especially, through practical experiences: "The supervisor was training the woman to take over his job when he would retire."
2. To cause someone or something to develop an ability or skill: "The student trained his mind to think in a systematic and scientific way."
3. To make someone stronger, faster, or better at doing something before competing in an event or competition: "The young woman is training for the Olympics."
4. To teach an animal to obey commands: "The police used trained dogs to sniff out drugs."
5. To aim or to point something toward something or in a particular direction: "She trained the flashlight into the cave."
6. To improve something; especially, the mind, with discipline: "They trained their minds to learn the proper pronunciations and vocabulary of the foreign language."