derail

[ dee-reyl ]
See synonyms for derail on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object)
  1. to cause (a train, streetcar, etc.) to run off the rails of a track.

  2. to cause to fail or become deflected from a purpose; reduce or delay the chances for success or development of: Being drafted into the army derailed his career for two years.

verb (used without object)
  1. (of a train, streetcar, etc.) to run off the rails of a track.

  2. to become derailed; go astray.

noun
  1. a track device for derailing rolling stock in an emergency.

Origin of derail

1
First recorded in 1840–50; from French dérailler, equivalent to dé- negative prefix + -railler, verbal derivative of rail “bar, beam” (from English ); see origin at de- rail1

Words Nearby derail

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use derail in a sentence

  • He testified that he had kept the detective agencies informed as to the progress of the plot to derail the train.

  • To derail a train is legitimate warfare, with many precedents to support it.

    The War in South Africa | Arthur Conan Doyle
  • An engine, moreover, that had the power of leaving the metals to chase you should you not derail it.

    The Pools of Silence | H. de Vere Stacpoole
  • Something told Gladys that the men had had no business at the switch; that they meant to derail and wreck the Limited.

  • But, for that matter, he would derail what he liked, and cross where he pleased.

    Bayou Folk | Kate Chopin

British Dictionary definitions for derail

derail

/ (dɪˈreɪl) /


verb
  1. to go or cause to go off the rails, as a train, tram, etc

noun
  1. Also called: derailer mainly US a device designed to make rolling stock or locomotives leave the rails to avoid a collision or accident

Derived forms of derail

  • derailment, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012