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“rail”
1. A barrier consisting of a horizontal wooden or metal bar and supports which people can use to hold on to in order to keep from falling: There was a rail in the department store elevator for the customers to hold on to when going from one floor to the next.
2. A bar or bars of rolled steel making a track, or tracks along which vehicles can travel: Street cars and trains, for example, use rails to proceed from one place to another.
3. The railroad as a means of transportation: The products were transported by rail to the various stores.
4. Etymology: "a bar" from early 14th century, from Old French reille, from Common Latin regla, from Latin regula, "straight stick" from a form related to regere, "to straighten, to guide".
2. A bar or bars of rolled steel making a track, or tracks along which vehicles can travel: Street cars and trains, for example, use rails to proceed from one place to another.
3. The railroad as a means of transportation: The products were transported by rail to the various stores.
4. Etymology: "a bar" from early 14th century, from Old French reille, from Common Latin regla, from Latin regula, "straight stick" from a form related to regere, "to straighten, to guide".
Technically, railings are horizontal while palings are vertical.
This entry is located in the following unit:
regi-, reg-, rec-, rex-
(page 6)
rail, rail, rail
rail (RAYL) (noun)
1. Any of a number of wading birds (Rallidae) similar to cranes but typically smaller with short round wings and long toes for running in the mud of the swamps where they live: Latasha went on a bird expedition and saw a rare rail in the marsh.
2. The fencing for a racetrack: The crowd pressed against the rail during the excitement of the competition.
3. A pole extending between two posts and whose function is to create a barrier: The new rail at the gate was painted bright red.
2. The fencing for a racetrack: The crowd pressed against the rail during the excitement of the competition.
3. A pole extending between two posts and whose function is to create a barrier: The new rail at the gate was painted bright red.
rail (RAYL) (noun)
1. One of the bars of steel that form a train's track: The workers found a cracked rail on the intercity locomotive and wagon line today.
2. A system of traveling by train: Walter has to journey back and forth from his town to the city by rail every working day.
2. A system of traveling by train: Walter has to journey back and forth from his town to the city by rail every working day.
rail (RAYL) (verb)
1. To complain angrily about something: The old man felt he had to rail at the doctor because, as a patient, he waited two hours and was still unable see anyone for a medical examination.
2. To use harsh or abusive language: Trisha could hear the actress rail against the director even though she was not in the room.
3. To install fencing: The project of the day was to rail the corral for the horses that were being delivered next week.
2. To use harsh or abusive language: Trisha could hear the actress rail against the director even though she was not in the room.
3. To install fencing: The project of the day was to rail the corral for the horses that were being delivered next week.
Don't rail at me because the rail at the racetrack is broken; instead, why not form a committee and rail a more secure rail. The committee agreed and returned to the city by rail.
This entry is located in the following unit:
Confusing Words Clarified: Group R; Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs, Synonyms, Polysemes, etc. +
(page 1)
Word Entries at Get Words:
“rail”
1. A bar that goes from one post or support to another one which is used to form a barrier: The tourists leaned over the rail of the ship so they could see the whales.
2. A bar that is secured in such a way that items may be hung from it: Jeremy hung the curtains from the rails in the bedroom.
3. The bars of steel that form train tracks: As a result of the extreme snow and ice, the train swerved off the rails.
2. A bar that is secured in such a way that items may be hung from it: Jeremy hung the curtains from the rails in the bedroom.
3. The bars of steel that form train tracks: As a result of the extreme snow and ice, the train swerved off the rails.
Workers were putting new rails on the train track.
This entry is located in the following unit:
English Words in Action, Group R
(page 1)
rail (verb), rails; railed; railing
1. To complain angrily about something: A patient was railing against the medical staff because she had slipped and fallen on the floor in her hospital room at night and she couldn't get up or contact anyone to help her.
2. To express objections or criticisms in bitter, harsh, or abusive language: Too many "talk-show hosts" rant and rail to an excessive amount of time against those who have different political views than the TV moderators do.
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2. To express objections or criticisms in bitter, harsh, or abusive language: Too many "talk-show hosts" rant and rail to an excessive amount of time against those who have different political views than the TV moderators do.
The workers were railing about the unfair treatment they had received from their employer.
3. Normally to use metal bars to create a barrier around or at the edge of something: The city railed off the pedestrian walk on the bridge going across the river.The workers are in the process of railing off the sides of the balconies of the high-rise apartment.
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This entry is located in the following unit:
English Words in Action, Group R
(page 1)