rail¹ /rāl/

1. A bar extending horizontally or at a slope between supports or on the ground, often to form a support, a fence, a guard, a track for wheels, etc
2. The railway as a means of travel or transport
3. A horizontal member in framing or panelling (as in a door)
4. The capping part of bulwarks
5. (in pl) a racecourse barrier
6. (in pl) railway shares

1. To enclose or separate with rails
2. To provide with rails
3. To send by railway

To travel by railway

railˈage noun (chiefly S Afr)

(the cost of) transportation by railway

railˈing noun

1. Fencing
2. Fencing materials
3. (often in pl) a barrier or ornamental structure, usu of upright iron rods secured by horizontal connections

railˈless adjective

railˈbed noun

The roadbed of a railway track

railˈ-borne adjective

Carried by railway

railˈbus noun

A lightweight railway coach powered by a bus-type diesel engine, or otherwise resembling a bus

railˈcar noun (US)

1. A railway carriage
2. A self-propelled railway carriage

railˈcard noun

Any of various cards entitling its holder (eg a young person, old-age pensioner, etc) to reduced train fares

railˈ-fence noun (US)

A fence of wooden posts and rails

railˈhead noun

1. The furthest point reached by a railway under construction
2. A railway terminal

railˈman or railˈwoman noun

A railway employee

railˈ-motor noun

A self-propelled railway carriage

railˈroad noun (chiefly N American)

A railway

transitive verb (informal)

1. To force or push forward unduly (a person into a particular course of action, a bill through parliament, etc) (orig US)
2. To get rid of, esp by sending to prison on a false charge

railroad car noun (US)

A railway carriage or a railway van or truck

railˈroader noun (US)

A railway worker or official

railˈ-splitter noun (US)

A person who splits logs for fence-rails

railˈway noun

1. A track laid with rails for wheels to run on, esp for locomotives with passengers and goods wagons
2. A system of such tracks together with their equipment and organization
3. The company owning such a system

Of or relating to a railway

railway carriage noun

A railway vehicle for passengers

railway crossing noun

An intersection of railway lines or of road and railway, esp without a bridge

railˈwayman noun

A railway employee

railˈway-stitch noun

A name for various quickly worked stitches

off the rails

1. Mad, deranged
2. Morally degenerate
3. Not functioning
4. Disorganized

thin as a rail

(of a person) extremely thin

rail² /rāl/

1. To scoff
2. To use vigorously or mockingly reproachful language
3. To banter
4. To revile (usu with at or against)

To bring or render by raillery

Reviling

railˈer noun

railˈing adjective and noun

railˈingly adverb

raillery /rālˈər-i or (archaic) ralˈ/ noun

1. Railing or mockery
2. Banter
3. Playful satire

rail³ /rāl/

Any bird of the genus Rallus, esp the water rail, or other member of the family Rallˈidae, esp the corncrake or land-rail

rail⁴ (Spenser rayle or raile) /rāl/ (archaic)

To flow, gush

rail⁵ /rāl/ (obsolete except in night-rail)

1. A garment
2. A cloak
3. A neckerchief

raillˈy noun (Scott)

A jacket

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