: any of numerous wading birds (family Rallidae, the rail family) that are of small or medium size and have short rounded wings, a short tail, and usually very long toes which enable them to run on the soft mud of marshes
Noun (1)
the stairs are icy, so hold onto the rail
an abandoned stretch of rail that was overgrown with brush Verb (2)
we could hear the cook in the kitchen railing against his assistant and wondered if we'd ever get our food
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
New England’s longest rail trail is now open, allowing travelers in Vermont to walk, bike, and even horseback ride across the state.—Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 17 July 2024 That's almost 7,000 feet of rail on nine curves and adjacent connecting straight track, the fact sheet said.—Eric D. Lawrence, Detroit Free Press, 16 July 2024 Despite the best efforts of those who believe those rails are in place for good reason, words and deeds that once seemed beyond the pale have become normalized.—Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2024 The wide, slow Monongahela River passes through town, with five miles of paved rail trails along its banks.—Graham Averill, Outside Online, 14 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for rail
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rail.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
Middle English raile, from Anglo-French raille, reille bar, rule, from Latin regula straightedge, rule — more at rule
Noun (2)
Middle English raile, from Middle French raalle
Verb (2)
Middle English, from Middle French railler to mock, probably from Old French reillier to growl, mutter, from Vulgar Latin *ragulare to bray, from Late Latin ragere to neigh
: any of various small wading birds related to the cranes
rail
4 of 4verb
: to scold or complain in harsh or bitter language
railernoun
Etymology
Noun
Middle English raile "bar, rail," from early French raille, reille "bar, ruler," from Latin regula "straightedge, ruler," from regere "to lead straight, govern, rule" — related to regent, regulate, rule
Noun
Middle English raile "rail (the bird)," from early French raalie (same meaning)
Verb
Middle English railen "to scold, be abusive to," from early French railler "to mock," probably derived from Latin ragere "to neigh"
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