to side-track
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Originally an American rail- road term; hence, to get rid of, shelve, put on one side indefinitely.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to side-track” mean?
Originally an American rail- road term; hence, to get rid of, shelve, put on one side indefinitely.
Is “to side-track” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.