RAIL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does rail mean? 

• RAIL (noun)
  The noun RAIL has 5 senses:

1. a barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports

2. short for railway

3. a bar or pair of parallel bars of rolled steel making the railway along which railroad cars or other vehicles can roll

4. a horizontal bar (usually of wood or metal)

5. any of numerous widely distributed small wading birds of the family Rallidae having short wings and very long toes for running on soft mud

  Familiarity information: RAIL used as a noun is common.

• RAIL (verb)
  The verb RAIL has 10 senses:

1. complain bitterly

2. enclose with rails

3. provide with rails

4. separate with a railing

5. convey (goods etc.) by rails

6. travel by rail or train

7. lay with rails

8. fish with a handline over the rails of a boat

9. spread negative information about

10. criticize severely

  Familiarity information: RAIL used as a verb is familiar.

 Dictionary entry details 

• RAIL (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

rail; railing

Hypernyms ("rail" is a kind of...):

barrier (a structure or object that impedes free movement)

Meronyms (parts of "rail"):

ledger board (top rail of a fence or balustrade)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "rail"):

bar ((law) a railing that encloses the part of the courtroom where the judges and lawyers sit and the case is tried)

fife rail (the railing surrounding the mast of a sailing vessel)

guardrail; safety rail (a railing placed alongside a stairway or road for safety)

taffrail (the railing around the stern of a ship)

Holonyms ("rail" is a part of...):

balusters; balustrade; banister; bannister; handrail (a railing at the side of a staircase or balcony to prevent people from falling)

Derivation:

rail (separate with a railing)

rail (provide with rails)

rail (enclose with rails)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Short for railway

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Context example:

he was concerned with rail safety

Hypernyms ("rail" is a kind of...):

railroad; railroad line; railway; railway line; railway system (line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight)

Derivation:

rail (travel by rail or train)

rail (convey (goods etc.) by rails)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A bar or pair of parallel bars of rolled steel making the railway along which railroad cars or other vehicles can roll

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

rail; rails; runway; track

Hypernyms ("rail" is a kind of...):

bar (a rigid piece of metal or wood; usually used as a fastening or obstruction or weapon)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "rail"):

third rail (a rail through which electric current is supplied to an electric locomotive)

Holonyms ("rail" is a part of...):

railroad; railroad track; railway (a line of track providing a runway for wheels)

streetcar track; tramline; tramway (the track on which trams or streetcars run)

Derivation:

rail (lay with rails)

rail (travel by rail or train)

rail (convey (goods etc.) by rails)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A horizontal bar (usually of wood or metal)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("rail" is a kind of...):

bar (a rigid piece of metal or wood; usually used as a fastening or obstruction or weapon)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "rail"):

fence rail; split rail (a rail that is split from a log)

plate rail (rail or narrow shelf fixed to a wall to display plates)

picture rail (rail fixed to a wall for hanging pictures)

ledger board (top rail of a fence or balustrade)

hitching bar; hitchrack (a fixed horizontal rail to which a horse can be hitched to prevent it from straying)

Derivation:

rail (enclose with rails)

rail (provide with rails)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Any of numerous widely distributed small wading birds of the family Rallidae having short wings and very long toes for running on soft mud

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Hypernyms ("rail" is a kind of...):

wader; wading bird (any of many long-legged birds that wade in water in search of food)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "rail"):

maori hen; weka; wood hen (flightless New Zealand rail of thievish disposition having short wings each with a spur used in fighting)

crake (any of several short-billed Old World rails)

notornis; Notornis mantelli; takahe (flightless New Zealand birds similar to gallinules)

coot (slate-black slow-flying birds somewhat resembling ducks)

Holonyms ("rail" is a member of...):

family Rallidae; Rallidae (rails; crakes; gallinules; coots)

• RAIL (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Complain bitterly

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

inveigh; rail

Hypernyms (to "rail" is one way to...):

complain; kick; kvetch; plain; quetch; sound off (express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s PP

Sense 2

Meaning:

Enclose with rails

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

rail; rail in

Context example:

rail in the old graves

Hypernyms (to "rail" is one way to...):

confine; enclose; hold in (close in)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

rail (a horizontal bar (usually of wood or metal))

rail; railing (a barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Provide with rails

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Context example:

The yard was railed

Hypernyms (to "rail" is one way to...):

furnish; provide; render; supply (give something useful or necessary to)

Domain category:

architecture (the profession of designing buildings and environments with consideration for their esthetic effect)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

rail (a horizontal bar (usually of wood or metal))

rail; railing (a barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Separate with a railing

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

rail; rail off

Context example:

rail off the crowds from the Presidential palace

Hypernyms (to "rail" is one way to...):

divide; separate (make a division or separation)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

rail; railing (a barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Convey (goods etc.) by rails

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

fresh fruit are railed from Italy to Belgium

Hypernyms (to "rail" is one way to...):

transport (move something or somebody around; usually over long distances)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody PP
Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

rail (short for railway)

rail (a bar or pair of parallel bars of rolled steel making the railway along which railroad cars or other vehicles can roll)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Travel by rail or train

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

rail; train

Context example:

She trained to Hamburg

Hypernyms (to "rail" is one way to...):

ride (be carried or travel on or in a vehicle)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

rail (short for railway)

rail (a bar or pair of parallel bars of rolled steel making the railway along which railroad cars or other vehicles can roll)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Lay with rails

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

hundreds of miles were railed out here

Hypernyms (to "rail" is one way to...):

lay; put down; repose (put in a horizontal position)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

rail (a bar or pair of parallel bars of rolled steel making the railway along which railroad cars or other vehicles can roll)

Sense 8

Meaning:

Fish with a handline over the rails of a boat

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Context example:

They are railing for fresh fish

Hypernyms (to "rail" is one way to...):

fish (catch or try to catch fish or shellfish)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Sense 9

Meaning:

Spread negative information about

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

rail; revile; vilify; vituperate

Context example:

The Nazi propaganda vilified the Jews

Hypernyms (to "rail" is one way to...):

abuse; blackguard; clapperclaw; shout (use foul or abusive language towards)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 10

Meaning:

Criticize severely

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

fulminate; rail

Context example:

She railed against the bad social policies

Hypernyms (to "rail" is one way to...):

denounce (speak out against)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s PP

 Context examples 

Don’t rail against delays, but rather, go with the flow.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

The house was separated from the street by a low wall and railing, the whole not more than five feet high.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The Lord Loring hath given his proofs; but we know nothing of his squires, save that one of them hath a railing tongue.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

We both laughed at the absurdity, and he dropped down to the deck and rested his rifle across the rail.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

How is he to be taken?—Here a process of exclusions may help us. By road, by rail, by water?

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

If you examine the roofs you will find that they are slightly rounded, and there is no railing round them.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The speaker came forward and leaned on the rails.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Two hundred yards or so in front of us there was a bridge, with wooden posts and rails upon either side.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The research found that two of the species in the study, saltmarsh sparrows and clapper rails, are declining from increased coastal flooding caused by higher sea levels.

(Coastal birds can weather the storm, but not the sea, National Science Foundation)

The plump young man led us to a spot where the top of one of the wooden rails had been cracked.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)