rail 
rail (rāl)
noun
- a bar of wood, metal, etc. placed horizontally between upright posts to serve as a barrier or support
- a fence or railing; specif., the fence surrounding the infield of a racetrack
- any of a series of parallel metal bars laid upon crossties or in the ground to make a track for railroad cars, streetcars, etc.
- a railroad or railway as a means of transportation to travel by rail
- a horizontal piece of wood separating the panels in doors or wainscoting
- the rim of a billiard table
- Naut. a narrow, wooden or metal piece forming the top of a ship's bulwarks
Etymology: ME raile < OFr reille < L regula, rule
transitive verb
to supply with rails or a railing; fence
adjective
of or pertaining to a railway or railroad
(go) off the rails
- (to go) off the proper course
- (to become) insane
ride on a rail
☆to place on a rail and carry out of the community: extralegal punishment in which the victim was usually tarred and feathered beforehand
rail (rāl)
intransitive verb
to speak bitterly or reproachfully; complain violently: with against, at, or about
Etymology: ME raylen < MFr < railler < Prov ralhar < VL *ragulare, to bray < LL ragere, to bellow
rail (rāl)
noun pl. rails or rail
any of a number of gruiform marsh birds (family Rallidae), characterized by short wings and tail, long toes, and a harsh cry
Etymology: ME rayle < MFr raale < raaler, to screech, rattle < VL *rasclare, to grate: orig. echoic
rail
n.
A polelike structure
bar, post, railing, barrier, picket, rail fence, siding, balustrade, banister, paling, rest, handrail, guardrail, grab bar, brass rail; see also bar 1, fence 1.A track; often plural
go off the rails*
ride on a rail
Converse of object
- hang: Inside each is a full height hanging rail at the top.
- electrify: There is the additional hazard of the electrified third rail on the Merseyrail Electrics network and of overhead power lines.
- grind: On that day, a workman was engaged in cutting and grinding the aft top-deck guard rails and stanchions of the Northern Challenger.
Adjective modifier
- heated: Newly fitted large walk-in shower, heated towel rail, wash hand basin, WC.
- high-speed: Only one air route ( Gatwick - Glasgow ) has a similar noise burden to high-speed rail.
- mainline: By mainline rail: Westminster Central Hall is within easy walking distance of Victoria, Charing Cross and Waterloo mainline stations.
- flightless: More than a quarter of all the world's 60-odd living species of rail are flightless, and all flightless rails live on islands.
- stern: He seized a boathook and hobbled down the deck toward Quilter, who grimaced at him from his handhold on the stern rail.
Modifies a noun
- freight: Rail freight has grown by more than 50 % .
- network: There would be a shift from money being spent on road building to money being spent on the rail network.
- fare: Meanwhile, regulated rail fares are to rise by RPI plus 1 per cent for at least the next three years.
- station: The Main line rail station is only 300 yards away.
- franchise: Proposal: A two - year extension of the Central Trains passenger rail franchise was made on 8 July 2003.
- passenger: Rail passengers travel twenty five billion miles every year.
Noun used with modifier
- towel: Newly fitted large walk-in shower, heated towel rail, wash hand basin, WC.
- dado: This paint effect divides the wall at dado rail height.
- grab: Am I eligible for lever taps, lowering a cistern or having a grab rail of some sort fitted in my home?
- altar: At the east end of the north aisle is a chapel separated from it by wrought iron altar rails.
- commuter: The US still has many busy and expanding commuter rail networks around major cities, and enormous amounts of long-distance bulk rail freight.
- communion: Above: the thrust stage, retaining the old communion rails.
In myconscience I believethe baggage lovesme, for she never speaks well of me herself, nor suffers any body else to rail at me.
It is better to fight for the good, than to rail at the ill; I have felt with my native land, I am one with my kind, I embrace the purpose of God, and the doom assigned.
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