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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.
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 stile2.
9.
Slang. a line of cocaine crystals or powder for inhaling through the nose.
verb (used with object)
10.
to furnish or enclose with a rail or rails.
00:10
Rail
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is fletcherise. Does it mean:
| to chew (food) slowly and thoroughly. |
| to expurgate (a written work) by removing or modifying passages considered vulgar or objectionable. |
Origin:
1250–1300; Middle English raile < Old French raille bar, beam < Latin rēgula bar, straight piece of wood, regula
1250–1300; Middle English raile < Old French raille bar, beam < Latin rēgula bar, straight piece of wood, regula
Related forms
rail·less, adjective
rail·like, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
verb (used without object)
1.
to utter bitter complaint or vehement denunciation (often followed by at or against ): to rail at fate.
verb (used with object)
2.
to bring, force, etc., by railing.
Origin:
1425–75; late Middle English railen < Middle French railler to deride < Provençal ralhar to chatter < Vulgar Latin *ragulāre, derivative of Late Latin ragere to bray
1425–75; late Middle English railen < Middle French railler to deride < Provençal ralhar to chatter < Vulgar Latin *ragulāre, derivative of Late Latin ragere to bray
Related forms
rail·er, noun
rail·ing·ly, adverb
Synonyms
1. fulminate, inveigh, castigate, rant, revile.
1. fulminate, inveigh, castigate, rant, revile.
noun
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.
Origin:
1400–50; late Middle English rale < Old French raale (cognate with Provençal rascla), noun derivative of raler < Vulgar Latin *rāsiculāre frequentative of Latin rādere (past participle rāsus) to scratch
1400–50; late Middle English rale < Old French raale (cognate with Provençal rascla), noun derivative of raler < Vulgar Latin *rāsiculāre frequentative of Latin rādere (past participle rāsus) to scratch
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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|
Link To rail
Collins
World English Dictionary
rail1 (reɪl) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 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. | Compare stile a horizontal framing member in a door or piece of panelling |
| 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. | a. short for railway |
| b. (as modifier): rail transport | |
| 7. | nautical a trim for finishing the top of a bulwark |
| 8. | off the rails |
| a. into or in a state of dysfunction or disorder | |
| b. eccentric or mad | |
| —vb (usually foll by in | |
| 9. | to provide with a rail or railings |
| 10. | to fence (an area) with rails |
| [C13: from Old French raille rod, from Latin rēgula ruler, straight piece of wood] | |
| 'railless1 | |
| —adj | |
| rail2 (reɪl) | |
| —vb | |
| (intr | |
| [C15: from Old French railler to mock, from Old Provençal ralhar to chatter, joke, from Late Latin ragere to yell, neigh] | |
| 'railer2 | |
| —n | |
| rail3 (reɪl) | |
| —n | |
| 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 | |
| [C15: from Old French raale, perhaps from Latin rādere to scrape] | |
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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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
rail
"bar," c.1320, from O.Fr. reille, from V.L. *regla, from L. regula "straight stick," dim. form related to regere "to straighten, guide" (see right). Used figuratively for "thinness" from 1872. Technically, railings (1471) are horizontal, palings are vertical.
rail
"small bird," mid-15c., from O.Fr. raale (13c.), related to râler "to rattle," of unknown origin, perhaps imitative.
rail
"complain," 1460, from M.Fr. railler "to tease or joke" (15c.), perhaps from O.Prov. ralhar "scoff, to chat, to joke," from V.L. *ragulare "to bray" (cf. It. ragghiare "to bray"), from L.L. ragere "to roar," probably of imitative origin. See rally (2). Raillery "good-humored ridicule" is from 1653.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary
line definition
|
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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FOLDOC
Computing Dictionary
RAIL definition
roboticsAutomatix. High-level language for industrial robots.
(2006-11-10)
American Heritage
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Example sentences
To be cost-efficient, any high-speed rail system needs an ample supply of riders.
Undulating details repeat in the lighting and in the curtain rail.
First, there is a viable alternative to driving, such as a comprehensive rail system.
State rail firms have the ability to foil smaller rivals and new entrants.
Idioms & Phrases
Nearby Words
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