third rail
[thurd reyl]
noun
Railroads.
- a rail laid parallel and adjacent to the running rails of an electrified railroad to provide electric current to the motors of a car or locomotive through contact shoes.
- an additional running rail laid on the same ties as the two regular rails of a railroad track to provide a multigauge capability.
a controversial topic or issue in the public sphere that people, especially politicians, try to avoid discussing (often used attributively): a third-rail subject;Doping is the third rail of the Olympics.Social Security is the third rail of American politics.
Origin of third rail
An Americanism dating back to 1865–70
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Related Words for third rail
pantographExamples from the Web for third rail
Contemporary Examples of third rail
Historical Examples of third rail
They had traveled by the third-rail line twenty miles into the country.
The Crystal BallRoy J. Snell
He may perfect a third-rail system for use on moving trains.
The History of the TelephoneHerbert N. Casson
It was originally on the third-rail system, but was changed into an ordinary overhead trolley seven or eight years ago.
One Irish SummerWilliam Eleroy Curtis
A great rate of speed can be gained with the third-rail system, ten miles having been made in thirteen and a half minutes.
The third-rail system in its simplest form is shown in Fig. 29, which represents a section through the roadbed.
third rail
noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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third rail
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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