bullet train

American  

noun

bullet trains plural

1. a high-speed passenger train, as on certain routes in Japan.

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bullet train British  

noun

1. a passenger train that travels at very high speed

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• bullet trains
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bullet train

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bullet train

The streamlined beak of the kingfisher, which enters the water almost without a splash, became the model for the nose of Japan’s bullet train.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

The tradition-steeped city, just a couple of hours from Tokyo on the bullet train, is famed for its kimono-clad geisha performers and increasingly crowded Buddhist temples.

From Barron's ● Jan. 20, 2026

One of Japan's busiest bullet train lines came to a halt after a snake tangled itself in a power line, causing a power outage.

From BBC ● May 1, 2025

Add 6-foot-7 freshman Sydney Douglas, the daughter of a father who played football at USC and a mother who played basketball at UCLA, and you get a hint of the approaching bullet train.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2025

“Maybe. I don't know yet. Only takes twenty-three hours by bullet train to get to New York City. I looked it up.”

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton