1813, The Parliamentary history of England from the earliest period to the year 1803Sir ; to me the noble lord seems to trod close in the foot-steps of his fellow-labourers in the ministerial vineyard, and u crow over us with the same reason
1833, Timothy Flint, The history and geography of the Mississippi ValleyIt renders the paths, and the banks of the bayous in that region almost impassable in autumn, until the cattle have trodded it down.
1866, Fanny Fisher, Ainsworth's heirThey bore him to his chamber, where he lay all pale and tearless, like some broken reed, Some helpless shrub, all crushed and trodded down
1895, Uchimura Kanzo, The Diary of a Japanese ConvertYet alas! I see around me the trodding of the same old paths, each trying to excel the other how to ape the good old ministers who were "very much liked by their parishioners."
1962, American Motorcyclist, February, page 16Land of mystery and enchantment, continent of contrast and extremes, where adventure awaits those who dare to defy convention and choose to trod the unfamiliar path.
2007, December 23, Matt Weiland, Walker in the City, Happily, he writes the way he walks: at a vigorous lope, both attentive to the varied soils of the ground he trods and curious about the dust and dandelions over the next hill.
2009, March 18, Sonia Day, Nip that gardening zeal in the bud, And avoid trodding on the inevitably wet soil around the base of the shrubs as you work.
