rail

¹

[ reyl ]

noun

1. a bar of wood or metal fixed horizontally for any of various purposes, as for a support, barrier, fence, or railing.
2. a fence; railing.
3. one of two fences marking the inside and outside boundaries of a racetrack.
4. one of a pair of steel bars that provide the running surfaces for the wheels of locomotives and railroad cars.
5. the railroad as a means of transportation:

   to travel by rail.

6. rails, stocks or bonds of railroad companies.
7. Nautical. a horizontal member capping a bulwark.
8. Carpentry, Furniture. any of various horizontal members framing panels or the like, as in a system of paneling, paneled door, window sash, or chest of drawers. Compare stile ².
9. Slang. a line of cocaine crystals or powder for inhaling through the nose.

verb (used with object)

1. to furnish or enclose with a rail or rails.

rail

²

[ reyl ]

verb (used without object)

1. to utter bitter complaint or vehement denunciation (often followed by at or against ):

   to rail at fate.

   Synonyms: revile, rant, castigate, inveigh, fulminate

verb (used with object)

1. to bring, force, etc., by railing.

rail

³

[ reyl ]

noun

1. any of numerous birds of the family Rallidae, that have short wings, a narrow body, long toes, and a harsh cry and inhabit grasslands, forests, and marshes in most parts of the world.

rail

¹

/ reɪl /

noun

1. any of various small wading birds of the genus Rallus and related genera: family Rallidae , order Gruiformes (cranes, etc). They have short wings, long legs, and dark plumage

rail

²

/ reɪl /

verb

1. intr; foll by at or against to complain bitterly or vehemently

   to rail against fate

rail

³

/ reɪl /

noun

1. a horizontal bar of wood, metal, etc, supported by vertical posts, functioning as a fence, barrier, handrail, etc
2. a horizontal bar fixed to a wall on which to hang things

   a picture rail

3. See stile
   a horizontal framing member in a door or piece of panelling Compare stile 2
4. See railing
   short for railing
5. one of a pair of parallel bars laid on a prepared track, roadway, etc, that serve as a guide and running surface for the wheels of a railway train, tramcar, etc
6. 1. short for railway
   2. ( as modifier )

      rail transport

7. nautical a trim for finishing the top of a bulwark
8. off the rails
   off the rails
   1. into or in a state of dysfunction or disorder
   2. eccentric or mad

verb

1. to provide with a rail or railings
2. usually foll byin or off to fence (an area) with rails

Derived Forms

• ˈrailer, noun
• ˈrailless, adjective

Other Words From

• railless adjective
• raillike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of rail¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English raile, rail(le), from Old French raille, reille, Anglo-French raila, reyla “(horizontal) bar, beam,” from Latin rēgula “bar, straight piece of wood”; regula

Origin of rail²

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English railen, from Middle French railler “to mock, deride,” from Provençal ralhar “to babble, chatter,” from Vulgar Latin ragulāre (unattested), derivative of Late Latin ragere “to bray”

Origin of rail³

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English rale, rail, from Middle French raale, raille, from Old French rasle, noun derivative of râler, racler, from Vulgar Latin rāsiculāre (unattested), frequentative of Latin rādere (past participle rāsus ) “to scratch”

Word History and Origins

Origin of rail¹

C15: from Old French raale , perhaps from Latin rādere to scrape

Origin of rail²

C15: from Old French railler to mock, from Old Provençal ralhar to chatter, joke, from Late Latin ragere to yell, neigh

Origin of rail³

C13: from Old French raille rod, from Latin rēgula ruler, straight piece of wood

Idioms and Phrases

see off the rails ; thin as a rail ; third rail .

Example Sentences

Bring your bike helmet and ride the Monon Trail, a 30-mile or so rail trail that runs from downtown to points north including Broad Ripple Village.

From Washington Blade

Foye said they would include a reduction of as much as 40% in passenger service within the city, and a 50% decrease in service on commuter rail lines, which connect the city to outlying areas where many city workers live.

From Fortune

The Metropolitan Transit Authority, which runs New York City’s subways, buses, and commuter rail lines, needs a $12 billion cash infusion to offset losses due to the coronavirus.

From Fortune

I’ve pulled the seatpost out of the frame, inserted it through the rear triangle so that the rear wheel couldn’t roll, and locked one seat rail to the seat stay.

From Popular-Science

They’d then have to go at that padlock or the seat rail and be very careful not to slip and cut the frame in the process.

From Popular-Science

Authorities blame anarchists protesting a proposed high-speed rail line called TAV that will link Turin and Lyon, France.

From The Daily Beast

Workers built a temporary rail track through the city to move the statue in a process that took three days.

From The Daily Beast

After the tunnel was complete, Schmidt went about building a rail line through it.

From The Daily Beast

Tougher regulations on tank cars and oil-by-rail make sense.

From The Daily Beast

Yes, it costs more to move oil by rail than it does by pipeline.

From The Daily Beast

A gentleman got out of a carriage before it stopped, and fell between the rail and the platform.

From Project Gutenberg

The first rail road opened in Brazil, the emperor and empress being present at the inauguration.

From Project Gutenberg

An accident occurred on the Panama rail road, recently put in operation, by which 43 persons were killed, and 60 wounded.

From Project Gutenberg

He drew up the rocker, hoisted his slippered feet on the rail, and proceeded to smoke a cigar.

From Project Gutenberg

Since then the whole of the trade of transit by rail has been conducted by the companies owning the lines.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• castigate
• complain
• fume
• inveigh
• rant
• scold
• thunder