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. Compare stile ².
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 or against ):

   to rail at fate.

   Synonyms: revile, rant, castigate, inveigh, fulminate

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

/ reɪl /

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
6. 1. short for railway
   2. ( as modifier )

      rail transport

7. nautical a trim for finishing the top of a bulwark
8. off the rails
   1. into or in a state of dysfunction or disorder
   2. eccentric or mad

verb

1. to provide with a rail or railings
2. usually foll byin or off to fence (an area) with rails

rail

²

/ reɪl /

verb

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

   to rail against fate

rail

³

/ reɪl /

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

Derived Forms

• ˈrailless, adjective
• ˈrailer, noun

Other Words From

• railless adjective
• raillike adjective

Word 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 rēgula “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 ragulāre (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 rāsiculāre (unattested), frequentative of Latin rādere (past participle rāsus ) “to scratch”

Word History and Origins

Origin of rail¹

C13: from Old French raille rod, from Latin rēgula 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 rādere to scrape

Idioms and Phrases

see off the rails ; thin as a rail ; third rail .

Example Sentences

Network Rail said this could impact rail travel on some rural routes in the Peak District, across the Pennines between Manchester, Leeds and in Cumbria.

From BBC

The offramp was subsequently closed throughout Sunday morning while the California Department of Transportation repaired the rail, he said.

From Los Angeles Times

Companies also complain about rundown German infrastructure, such as the country’s much criticised rail network, bridges and roads, all three of which state-owned broadcaster Deutsche Wells describes as “aging and crumbling”.

From BBC

The industry's influence stems largely from a handful of wealthy players — a concentration of power that mirrors the financial system crypto pioneers once railed against.

From Salon

Trump has long railed against EV mandates and subsidies.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• castigate
• complain
• fume
• inveigh
• rant
• scold
• thunder