guardrail

[ gahrd-reyl ]

noun
  1. Also guardrailing. a protective railing, as along a road or stairway.

  2. Railroads. a rail laid parallel to a track to prevent derailment or to keep derailed rolling stock from leaving the roadbed.

Origin of guardrail

1
First recorded in 1825–35; guard + rail1

Words Nearby guardrail

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use guardrail in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for guardrail

guardrail

/ (ˈɡɑːdˌreɪl) /


noun
  1. a railing at the side of a staircase, road, etc, as a safety barrier

  2. Also called (Brit): checkrail railways a short metal rail fitted to the inside of the main rail to provide additional support in keeping a train's wheels on the track

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