51Թ

Advertisement

View synonyms for

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.

  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 oragainst ).

    to rail at fate.

    Synonyms: , , , ,

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

/ ɪ /

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. a horizontal framing member in a door or piece of panelling Compare stile 2

  4. 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

    1. short for railway

    2. ( as modifier )

      rail transport

  6. nautical a trim for finishing the top of a bulwark

    1. into or in a state of dysfunction or disorder

    2. eccentric or mad

“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

verb

  1. to provide with a rail or railings

  2. to fence (an area) with rails

“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

rail

2

/ ɪ /

verb

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

    to rail against fate

“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

rail

3

/ ɪ /

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

“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
Discover More

Other 51Թ Forms

  • railless adjective
  • raillike adjective
  • railer noun
  • railingly adverb
  • ˈ adjective
  • ˈ noun
Discover More

51Թ 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 ŧܱ “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 ܱ (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 ܱ (unattested), frequentative of Latin (past participle ܲ ) “to scratch”
Discover More

51Թ History and Origins

Origin of rail1

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

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

C15: from Old French raale , perhaps from Latin to scrape
Discover More

Idioms and Phrases

Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

It is the latest difficulty to beset the troubled giant rail infrastructure project.

From

In the chancellor's Spending Review, the UK Labour government pledged £445m for rail projects in Wales, £118m for restoring coal tips and extra cash for the day-to-day spending of the Welsh government.

From

Tens upon tens of billions of pounds of taxes and borrowing for public services and long-term projects, like rail lines and power stations.

From

About the only measure everyone says is needed is more provision of school doctors, nurses and psychologists in order to detect early signs of pupils going off the rails.

From

On Tuesday, Metro posted that “normal bus and rail service” would continue in the downtown area.

From

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


raiderrailage