intermodal

[ in-ter-mohd-l ]

adjective

, Transportation.

1. pertaining to or suitable for transportation involving more than one form of carrier, as truck and rail, or truck, ship, and rail.

intermodal

/ ˌɪntəˈməʊdəl /

adjective

1. (of a transport system) using different modes of conveyance in conjunction, such as ships, aircraft, road vehicles, etc
2. (of a container) able to be carried by different modes of conveyance without being unpacked
3. psychol denoting an interaction between different senses

Other Words From

• inter·modal·ism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of intermodal¹

First recorded in 1960–65; inter- + modal

Example Sentences

“The loose intermodal analogies — for example, ‘Red is like the sound of a trumpet’ — which crop up in discussions of this subject are of little use.

From Salon

Around noon, an explosion occurred inside an intermodal container on a railcar at Union Pacific’s Bailey Yard in North Platte, though it wasn’t clear what caused the explosion, railroad spokeswoman Robynn Tysver said.

From Seattle Times

"Though intermodal activity remains challenged, our strong service performance distinguishes us in the marketplace and is attracting shippers to our network," Chief Executive Officer Joe Hinrichs said in a statement.

From Reuters

The companies didn’t say how many of these intermodal shipments might be involved in the deal, but Schneider reported a $458 million profit last year on all the deliveries it handled across North America.

From Seattle Times

Still, price hikes aided by higher intermodal and auto shipments helped the railroad operator to post a near 8% rise in total operating revenue to $6.18 billion.

From Reuters