from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
- n. A bar extending horizontally between supports, as in a fence.
- n. A structure made of such bars and supports and forming a barrier or guard; a railing.
- n. A steel bar used, usually in pairs, as a track for railroad cars or other wheeled vehicles.
- n. The railroad as a means of transportation: goods transported by rail.
- n. A horizontal framing member in a door or in paneling.
- transitive v. To supply or enclose with rails or a rail.
- n. Any of various marsh birds of the family Rallidae, characteristically having brownish plumage and short wings adapted only for short flights.
- intransitive v. To express objections or criticisms in bitter, harsh, or abusive language. See Synonyms at scold.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
- n. A horizontal bar extending between supports and used for support or as a barrier; a railing.
- n. The metal bar that makes the track for a railroad.
- n. A railroad; a railway.
- n. A horizontal piece of wood that serves to separate sections of a door or window.
- n. Lengthwise edges of a surfboard.
- v. To travel by railway.
- n. Any of several birds in the family Rallidae.
- v. To complain violently (against, about).
- n. An item of clothing; a cloak or other garment.
- n. Specifically, a woman's headscarf or neckerchief.
- v. To gush, flow (of liquid).
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
- n. An outer cloak or covering; a neckerchief for women.
- intransitive v. To flow forth; to roll out; to course.
- n. A bar of timber or metal, usually horizontal or nearly so, extending from one post or support to another, as in fences, balustrades, staircases, etc.
- n. A horizontal piece in a frame or paneling. See Illust. of Style.
- n. A bar of steel or iron, forming part of the track on which the wheels roll. It is usually shaped with reference to vertical strength, and is held in place by chairs, splices, etc.
- n. The stout, narrow plank that forms the top of the bulwarks.
- n. The light, fencelike structures of wood or metal at the break of the deck, and elsewhere where such protection is needed.
- n. A railroad as a means of transportation.
- n. a railing.
- transitive v. To inclose with rails or a railing.
- transitive v. To range in a line.
- n. Any one of numerous species of limicoline birds of the family Rallidæ, especially those of the genus Rallus, and of closely allied genera. They are prized as game birds.
- intransitive v. To use insolent and reproachful language; to utter reproaches; to scoff; -- followed by at or against, formerly by on.
- transitive v. To rail at.
- transitive v. To move or influence by railing.
from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A bar of wood or other material passing from one post or other support to another.
- n. A structure consisting of rails and their sustaining posts, balusters, or pillars, and constituting an inclosure or line of division: often used in the plural, and also called a railing.
- n. In joinery, a horizontal timber in a piece of framing or paneling.
- n. Nautical, one of several bars or timbers in a ship, serving for inclosure or support.
- n. One of the iron or (now generally) steel bars or beams used on the permanent way of a railway to support and guide the wheels of cars and motors.
- n. The railway or railroad as a means of transport: as, to travel or send goods by railroading
- n. In cotton-spinning, a bar having an up-and-down motion, by which yarn passing through is guided upon the bar and is distributed upon the bobbins.
- To inclose with rails: often with in or off.
- To furnish with rails; lay the rails of, as a railway; construct a railway upon or along, as a street.
- To fish with a hand-line over the rail of a ship or boat.
- To range in a line; set in order.
- n. A garment; dress; robe: now only in the compound night-rail.
- n. A kerchief.
- To dress; clothe.
- n. A bird of the subfamily Rallinæ, and especially of the genus Rallus; a water-rail, land-rail, marsh-hen, or crake.
- To speak bitterly, opprobriously, or reproachfully; use acrimonious expressions; scoff; inveigh.
- Synonyms of rail at. To upbraid, scold or scold at or scold about, inveigh against, abuse, objurgate. Railing and scolding are always undignified, if not improper; literally, abusing is improper; all three words may by hyperbole be used for talk which is proper.
- To scoff at; taunt; scold; banter; affect by railing or raillery.
- To run; flow.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- n. short for railway
- v. spread negative information about
- v. enclose with rails
- n. a horizontal bar (usually of wood or metal)
- v. convey (goods etc.) by rails
- v. provide with rails
- n. a barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports
- v. lay with rails
- n. any of numerous widely distributed small wading birds of the family Rallidae having short wings and very long toes for running on soft mud
- v. complain bitterly
- n. a bar or pair of parallel bars of rolled steel making the railway along which railroad cars or other vehicles can roll
- v. criticize severely
- v. travel by rail or train
- v. fish with a handline over the rails of a boat
- v. separate with a railing
In the nineteenth century, when people wanted to describe the new transportation technology that went chug-chug-chug, they called the engine an iron horse and the rail system track way (if they were Dutch) or rail way (if they were English) or iron way (if they were French, German, or Italian) or narrow iron lane (if they were Greek).
The “light” in light rail is short for “light-capacity rail transit,” as opposed to “heavy rail” or “heavy-capacity rail transit” (subways and elevateds).
The bottom of this scope forms a rail, and near the front of the rail is a series of grooves.
He also touches on a lot of things that Matt talks about a lot: building urban rail is not going to be useful unless you also change development, and discourage free parking.
Democrats have learned that continually stepping on the third rail is unwise for their political futures.
Of course, China will still have lots and lots of international air travel, and also air travel over the very long distances through the interior, just as high-speed rail is never going to displace NY-LA flights here.
And while intercity rail is going to be primarily used by fairly prosperous business travelers, better buses would make it a lot easier for economically struggle families.
MY: “And while intercity rail is going to be primarily used by fairly prosperous business travelers, better buses would make it a lot easier for economically struggle families.”
Because people from Ohio will go there on vacation and discover that high speed rail is a nice way to get around.
And when you need to move a lot of heavy stuff like military equipment or coal, rail is much cheaper.