derailment

[dee-reyl-muhnt]

noun

1. the act or process of derailing.

2. Psychiatry.,  loosening of associations.

Word History and Origins

Origin of derailment¹

1940–45; derail + -ment, or < French déraillement

Example Sentences

The brakeman tried to apply emergency brakes but failed to prevent the derailment, The cause of the crash remains unknown.

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The brakeman tried to apply emergency brakes but failed to prevent the derailment, the investigators added.

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ORD’s research supported work around Superfund site cleanups and environmental disasters such as the Los Angeles wildfires or the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment.

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It makes for a rollercoaster ride, with the prospect of a catastrophic derailment seemingly around every bend.

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Two years later, the railway was shut down indefinitely following a derailment that September, with no injuries reported, and a subsequent safety report by the National Transportation Safety Board.

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