Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

sawdust trail

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.84 in modern English

Syllables: saw-dust -trail
IPA

16

Scrabble Score

12

Letters

3

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The route followed by an itinerant Christian preacher in the United States.

Dated

noun

The path to spiritual redemption or salvation, especially as involving attendance at Christian revival meetings presided over by itinerant preachers in the United States.

Dated

Example Sentences

"The Rev. William A. (Billy) Sunday, one of the most noted evangelists of the old "sawdust trail," died suddenly tonight of a heart attack in the home of his brother-in-law, William J. Thompson, a florist."
"Mr. Bernstein explained that this was not obligatory. All he meant was that the suit was good enough to be married in, or for that matter to be buried in. "Or to be born anew in when Billy Sunday comes to town and I hit the sawdust trail," suggested the purchaser."

Etymology

Probably an allusion to the sawdust which covered the floors of the tents in which religious revival meetings were often held.

Usage

Dated

Inflected Forms

sawdust trails (plural)

Phrases

circuit rider

Frequently Paired Words

circuit rider

Synonyms

sawdust circuit

Questions

What does sawdust trail mean?: The route followed by an itinerant Christian preacher in the United States.
Where does sawdust trail come from?: Probably an allusion to the sawdust which covered the floors of the tents in which religious revival meetings were often held.

How to pronounce sawdust trail

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “sawdust trail”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “sawdust trail”.
Repeat and practice — Say “sawdust trail” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.