guard·rail

[gahrd-reyl]
noun
1.
Also, guard·rail·ing. a protective railing, as along a road or stairway.
2.
Railroads. a rail laid parallel to a track to prevent derailment or to keep derailed rolling stock from leaving the roadbed.

Origin:
1825–35; guard + rail1

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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World English Dictionary
guardrail (ˈɡɑːdˌreɪl) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
1.  a railing at the side of a staircase, road, etc, as a safety barrier
2.  railways Also called (Brit): checkrail a short metal rail fitted to the inside of the main rail to provide additional support in keeping a train's wheels on the track

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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00:10
Guardrail is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
a fool or simpleton; ninny.
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
Example sentences
For anchoring guardrail, anchor cables should be drawn up tautly.
The purpose of guardrail is to reduce the potential for, and the severity of accidents involving vehicles that run off the road.
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