railroad

[ reyl-rohd ]
See synonyms for railroad on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a permanent road laid with rails, commonly in one or more pairs of continuous lines forming a track or tracks, on which locomotives and cars are run for the transportation of passengers, freight, and mail.

  2. an entire system of such roads together with its rolling stock, buildings, etc.; the entire railway plant, including fixed and movable property.

  1. the company of persons owning or operating such a plant.

  2. Bowling. a split.

  3. railroads, stocks or bonds of railroad companies.

verb (used with object)
  1. to transport by means of a railroad.

  2. to supply with railroads.

  1. Informal. to push (a law or bill) hastily through a legislature so that there is not time enough for objections to be considered.

  2. Informal. to convict (a person) in a hasty manner by means of false charges or insufficient evidence: The prisoner insisted he had been railroaded.

verb (used without object)
  1. to work on a railroad.

Origin of railroad

1
1750–60; 1875–85 for def. 9; rail1 + road

Other words from railroad

  • non·rail·road, adjective
  • pre·rail·road, adjective
  • pro·rail·road, adjective
  • un·rail·road·ed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use railroad in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for railroad

railroad

/ (ˈreɪlˌrəʊd) /


noun
  1. the usual US word for railway

verb
  1. (tr) informal to force (a person) into (an action) with haste or by unfair means

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