rail

rail
rail1 [reɪl]
noun
1》 a bar or bars fixed on upright supports or attached to a wall or ceiling, serving as part of a fence or barrier or used to hang things on.
2》 a steel bar or line of bars laid on the ground as one of a pair forming a railway track.
3》 railways as a means of transport.
4》 a horizontal piece in the frame of a panelled door or sash window. Compare with stile2.
5》 the edge of a surfboard or sailboard.
6》 Electronics a conductor which is maintained at a fixed potential and to which other parts of a circuit are connected.
verb
1》 provide or enclose with a rail or rails.
2》 convey (goods) by rail.
3》 (in windsurfing) sail the board on its edge.
Phrases
go off the rails informal begin behaving in an uncontrolled way.
on the rails
1》 informal functioning in a normal or regulated way.
2》 (of a racehorse or jockey) in a position on the racetrack nearest the inside fence.
Derivatives
railage noun
railless adjective
Origin
ME: from OFr. reille 'iron rod', from L. regula 'straight stick, rule'.
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rail2
verb (rail against/at) complain or protest strongly about or to.
Derivatives
railer noun
Origin
ME: from Fr. railler, from Provençal ralhar 'to jest', based on an alt. of L. rugire 'to bellow'.
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rail3
noun a secretive waterside bird with typically drab grey and brown plumage. [Rallus and other genera, family Rallidae.]
Origin
ME: from Old North. Fr. raille, perh. imitative.

English new terms dictionary. 2014.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • rail — rail …   Dictionnaire des rimes

  • rail — [ raj ] n. m. • 1817; mot angl.; cf. a. fr. raille, reille « barre »; lat. regula 1 ♦ Chacune des barres d acier profilées, mises bout à bout sur deux lignes parallèles et posées sur des traverses pour constituer une voie ferrée; chacune des deux …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Rail — or rails may refer to:* Guard rail, for safety or support * Handrail, on a stairway * Rallidae, the group of birds called rails * Rail tracks * The hot rolled steel profiles used on rail tracks or Tramway tracks ** Railway rail ** Vignoles rail… …   Wikipedia

  • Rail — Rail, n. [Akin to LG. & Sw. regel bar, bolt, G. riegel a rail, bar, or bolt, OHG. rigil, rigel, bar, bolt, and possibly to E. row a line.] 1. A bar of timber or metal, usually horizontal or nearly so, extending from one post or support to another …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • rail — [reɪl] noun [uncountable] TRANSPORT TRANSPORT travel or transport by train: • What percentage of goods are sent by rail? • rail travel * * * rail UK US /reɪl/ noun [U] TRANSPORT …   Financial and business terms

  • Rail — Rail, n. [F. r[^a]le, fr. r[^a]ler to have a rattling in the throat; of German origin, and akin to E. rattle. See {Rattle}, v.] (Zo[ o]l.) Any one of numerous species of limicoline birds of the family {Rallid[ae]}, especially those of the genus… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Raíl — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Para la moneda, véase Riel camboyano. Riel moderno[cita requerida]. Se denomina riel, carril o raíl a cada una de las barras met …   Wikipedia Español

  • rail — Ⅰ. rail [1] ► NOUN 1) a bar or series of bars fixed on upright supports or attached to a wall or ceiling, serving as part of a fence or barrier or used to hang things on. 2) a steel bar or continuous line of bars laid on the ground as one of a… …   English terms dictionary

  • rail — rail1 [rāl] n. [ME raile < OFr reille < L regula,RULE] 1. a bar of wood, metal, etc. placed horizontally between upright posts to serve as a barrier or support 2. a fence or railing; specif., the fence surrounding the infield of a racetrack …   English World dictionary

  • Rail — (r[=a]l), v. t. 1. To rail at. [Obs.] Feltham. [1913 Webster] 2. To move or influence by railing. [R.] [1913 Webster] Rail the seal from off my bond. Shak. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • raíl — Adaptación del inglés rail, ‘carril de la vía férrea’. En español se usa mayoritariamente como palabra bisílaba, con hiato entre las vocales en contacto: raíl [rra íl]. Se desaconseja, por tanto, la forma monosílaba ⊕ rail [rráil], con diptongo… …   Diccionario panhispánico de dudas

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