Illustration of rail
1
a
: a bar extending from one post or support to another and serving as a guard or barrier
b
: a structural member or support
2
a
b
: a light structure serving as a guard at the outer edge of a ship's deck
c
: a fence bounding a racetrack
plural rail or rails
: 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
railed; railing; rails
: to revile or scold in harsh, insolent, or abusive language
railer
noun
Examples of rail in a Sentence
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
David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 11 July 2025
Instead, the remaining pairs are either going off the rails or just starting to gain steam.
—Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 11 July 2025
Sydney Lake, Fortune, 8 July 2025
Trump had railed against the tax on online companies, including US corporations that do business in Canada.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for rail
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Noun
Brightline, which started service in 2018 in South Florida and now carries passengers over a 235-mile rail line between Miami and Orlando, has been piling up significant financial losses despite steady gains in ridership.
—David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 11 July 2025
Instead, the remaining pairs are either going off the rails or just starting to gain steam.
—Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 11 July 2025
Verb
Mexico’s protest comes on the back of a wave of similar protests across Europe railing against mass tourism.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 8 July 2025
Trump had railed against the tax on online companies, including US corporations that do business in Canada.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for rail
Cite this Entry
“Rail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rail. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rail
1 of 4 noun1
a
: a bar extending from one support to another and serving as a guard or barrier
b
2
a
: a bar of steel forming a track for wheeled vehicles
b
: railroad
rail
2 of 4 verb
: to provide with a railing
rail
3 of 4 noun
plural rails or rail
: any of various small wading birds related to the cranes
rail
4 of 4 verb
: to scold or complain in harsh or bitter language
railer
noun
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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