Heads or Tails Tuesday!

Today's topic is "train."

I know that Skittles did this with her hubby in mind (smile) because he likes trains. My uncle was also a model train fanatic...he even sets up a Christmas display at a local museum each year and he travels to model train conventions (did anyone else know that they had those?), but although I now which "train" inspired today's topic, it got me to thinking about one of the main reasons that the English language is so hard to learn.

I looked up "train" on dictionary.com...and here is what I found:

train–noun
1. Railroads. a self-propelled, connected group of rolling stock.
2. a line or procession of persons, vehicles, animals, etc., traveling together.
3. Military. an aggregation of vehicles, animals, and personnel accompanying an army to carry supplies, baggage, ammunition, etc.
4. a series or row of objects or parts.
5. Machinery. a connected set of three or more rotating elements, usually gears, through which force is transmitted, or motion or torque changed.
6. order, esp. proper order: Matters were in good train.
7. something that is drawn along; a trailing part.
8. an elongated part of a skirt or robe trailing behind on the ground.
9. a trail or stream of something from a moving object.
10. a line or succession of persons or things following one after the other.
11. a body of followers or attendants; retinue.
12. a series of proceedings, events, ideas, etc.
13. the series of results or circumstances following or proceeding from an event, action, etc.; aftermath: Disease came in the train of war.
14. a succession of connected ideas; a course of reasoning: to lose one's train of thought.
15. Astronomy.
a.the trace of light created by a meteor falling through the earth's atmosphere.
b.the tail of a comet.
16. a line of combustible material, as gunpowder, for leading fire to an explosive charge.
17. Physics. a succession of wave fronts, oscillations, or the like.

–verb (used with object)
18. to develop or form the habits, thoughts, or behavior of (a child or other person) by discipline and instruction: to train an unruly boy.
19. to make proficient by instruction and practice, as in some art, profession, or work: to train soldiers.
20. to make (a person) fit by proper exercise, diet, practice, etc., as for an athletic performance.
21. to discipline and instruct (an animal), as in the performance of tasks or tricks.
22. to treat or manipulate so as to bring into some desired form, position, direction, etc.: to train one's hair to stay down.
23. Horticulture. to bring (a plant, branch, etc.) into a particular shape or position, by bending, pruning, or the like.
24. to bring to bear on some object; point, aim, or direct, as a firearm, camera, telescope, or eye.
25. to entice; allure.

–verb (used without object)
26. to give the discipline and instruction, drill, practice, etc., designed to impart proficiency or efficiency.
27. to undergo discipline and instruction, drill, etc.
28. to get oneself into condition for an athletic performance through exercise, diet, practice, etc.
29. to travel or go by train: to train to New York.

Did you catch that? 29 possible definitions for the word train (some of which I have never even thought about...honestly..."train your hair?). Imagine if you are new to the language and someone uses this word--and you have to figure out which of the 29 definitions that person meant.

So, the next time you have what you think to be a simple word in front of you--look it up. You may just find the opposite to be true.