branch line

American

noun

a rail line, directly or indirectly connected with a main line, having its own stations and service.

branch line British

noun

railways a secondary route to a place or places not served by a main line

"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

Etymology

Origin of branch line

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The story of the signalman, No. 1 Branch line, in Mugby Junction, is indefinably horrible.

From The Tale of Terror A Study of the Gothic Romance by Birkhead, Edith

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023