headrail

[hed-reyl]

noun

1. a railing rail railing on a sailing vessel, extending forward from abaft the bow to the back of the figurehead.

2. Also called headbox. a narrow, boxlike case extending across the top of a window blind and covering the mechanical devices by which the blind operates.

headrail

/ ˈhɛdˌreɪl /

noun

1. billiards snooker the end of the table from which play is started, nearest the baulkline

Word History and Origins

Origin of headrail¹

First recorded in 1815–25; head + rail ¹

Example Sentences

The wonderful hair had been carefully combed; it flowed like a golden cataract over the headrail of the bedstead.

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Her cutwater, her headrail, the stock of her larboard anchor are broken.

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