What is "race track"

Race \Race\, n. [OE. ras, res, rees, AS. r[=ae]s a rush, running; akin to Icel. r[=a]s course, race. [root]118.]

1. A progress; a course; a movement or progression.

2. Esp., swift progress; rapid course; a running.

   The flight of many birds is swifter than the race of any beasts.
   --Bacon.

3. Hence: The act or process of running in competition; a contest of speed in any way, as in running, riding, driving, skating, rowing, sailing; in the plural, usually, a meeting for contests in the running of horses; as, he attended the races.

   The race is not to the swift.
   --Eccl. ix. 11.

   I wield the gauntlet, and I run the race.
   --Pope.

4. Competitive action of any kind, especially when prolonged; hence, career; course of life.

   My race of glory run, and race of shame.
   --Milton.

5. A strong or rapid current of water, or the channel or passage for such a current; a powerful current or heavy sea, sometimes produced by the meeting of two tides; as, the Portland Race; the Race of Alderney.

6. The current of water that turns a water wheel, or the channel in which it flows; a mill race.

   Note: The part of the channel above the wheel is sometimes called the headrace, the part below, the tailrace.

7. (Mach.) A channel or guide along which a shuttle is driven back and forth, as in a loom, sewing machine, etc. Race cloth, a cloth worn by horses in racing, having pockets to hold the weights prescribed. Race course.

   1. The path, generally circular or elliptical, over which a race is run.

   2. Same as Race way, below. Race cup, a cup given as a prize to the victor in a race. Race glass, a kind of field glass. Race horse.

      1. A horse that runs in competition; specifically, a horse bred or kept for running races.

      2. A breed of horses remarkable for swiftness in running.

   3. (Zo["o]l.) The steamer duck.

   4. (Zo["o]l.) A mantis.

      Race knife, a cutting tool with a blade that is hooked at the point, for marking outlines, on boards or metals, as by a pattern, -- used in shipbuilding.

      Race saddle, a light saddle used in racing.

      Race track. Same as Race course (a), above.

      Race way, the canal for the current that drives a water wheel.

n. (alternative spelling of racetrack English)

A race track (or 'racetrack', 'racing track' or 'racing circuit') is a facility built for racing of vehicles, athletes, or animals (e.g. horse racing or greyhound racing). A race track also may feature grandstands or concourses. Racetracks are also used in the study of animal locomotion. Some motorsport tracks are called speedways.

A racetrack is a permanent facility or building. Racecourse is an alternate term for a horse racing track, found in countries such as the United Kingdom, India, Australia, Hong Kong, and the United Arab Emirates. Race tracks built for bicycles are known as velodromes. Circuit is a common alternate term for racetrack, given the circuit configuration of most race tracks, allowing races to occur over several laps.

A race course, as opposed to a racecourse, is a term for non-permanent tracks for sports, particularly road running, water sports, road racing, or rallying. Many sports usually held on racetracks also can occur on temporary tracks, such as the Monaco Grand Prix in Formula One.

A race track is a purpose-built facility for the conducting of races.

Race track may also refer to:

• Racetrack (game), a paper and pencil game
• Racetrack Playa, an area of moving rocks in Death Valley
• Racetrack memory, a device for storing bits in a magnetic racetrack
• Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson, a character on the television series Battlestar Galactica
• RaceTrac, a discount brand of gasoline and chain of convenience stores situated across the United States
• Racetrack, North Bergen, a neighborhood in Hudson County, New Jersey