bullet train

American  

noun

1. a high-speed passenger train, as on certain routes in Japan.

---

bullet train British  

noun

1. a passenger train that travels at very high speed

---

Etymology

Origin of bullet train

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

The questions were about Friedman, and what he had in common with the people who lead companies that make bullet trains and electron microscopes and Hello Kitty.

From Los Angeles Times

The tradition-steeped city, just a couple of hours from Tokyo on the bullet train, is famed for its kimono-clad geisha performers and increasingly crowded Buddhist temples.

From Barron's

“Half His Age” first began percolating when McCurdy was 24, riding a bullet train on a solo trip in Japan.

From Los Angeles Times

Though Florida’s Brightline train between Orlando and Miami isn’t a bullet train—it maxes out at Amtrak-like 125 mph—it’s been giving “higher speed” rail a bad rep.

From The Wall Street Journal

But the silent engine isn’t a bullet train.

From Barron's