10  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Rail  \Rail\,  n. 
  A  railroad  as  a  means  of  transportation;  as  to  go  by  rail;  a 
  place  not  accesible  by  rail. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Rail  \Rail\,  n.  [OE.  reil,  re[yogh]el,  AS  hr[ae]gel,  hr[ae]gl  a 
  garment;  akin  to  OHG.  hregil  OFries  hreil.] 
  An  outer  cloak  or  covering;  a  neckerchief  for  women. 
  --Fairholt. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Rail  \Rail\,  v.  i.  [Etymol.  uncertain.] 
  To  flow  forth;  to  roll  out  to  course.  [Obs.] 
 
  Streams  of  tears  from  her  fair  eyes  forth  railing. 
  --Spenser. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Rail  \Rail\,  n.  [Akin  to  LG  &  Sw  regel  bar,  bolt,  G.  riegel  a 
  rail,  bar,  or  bolt,  OHG,  rigil,  rigel,  bar,  bolt,  and 
  possibly  to  E.  row  a  line.] 
  1.  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 
 
  2.  (Arch.)  A  horizontal  piece  in  a  frame  or  paneling.  See 
  Illust.  of  {Style}. 
 
  3.  (Railroad)  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 
 
  4.  (Naut.) 
  a  The  stout,  narrow  plank  that  forms  the  top  of  the 
  bulwarks. 
  b  The  light,  fencelike  structures  of  wood  or  metal  at 
  the  break  of  the  deck,  and  elsewhere  where  such 
  protection  is  needed. 
 
  {Rail  fence}.  See  under  {Fence}. 
 
  {Rail  guard}. 
  a  A  device  attached  to  the  front  of  a  locomotive  on  each 
  side  for  clearing  the  rail  obstructions. 
  b  A  guard  rail.  See  under  {Guard}. 
 
  {Rail  joint}  (Railroad),  a  splice  connecting  the  adjacent 
  ends  of  rails,  in  distinction  from  a  chair,  which  is 
  merely  a  seat.  The  two  devices  are  sometimes  united.  Among 
  several  hundred  varieties,  the  fish  joint  is  standard.  See 
  {Fish  joint},  under  {Fish}. 
 
  {Rail  train}  (Iron  &  Steel  Manuf.),  a  train  of  rolls  in  a 
  rolling  mill,  for  making  rails  for  railroads  from  blooms 
  or  billets. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Rail  \Rail\,  v.  i.  [F.  railler;  cf  Sp  rallar  to  grate,  scrape, 
  molest;  perhaps  fr  (assumed)  LL  radiculare,  fr  L.  radere 
  to  scrape,  grate.  Cf  {Rally}  to  banter,  {Rase}.] 
  To  use  insolent  and  reproachful  language;  to  utter 
  reproaches;  to  scoff;  followed  by  at  or  against,  formerly  by 
  on  --Shak. 
 
  And  rail  at  arts  he  did  not  understand.  --Dryden. 
 
  Lesbia  forever  on  me  rails.  --Swift. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Rail  \Rail\,  v.  t.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Railed};  p.  pr  &  vb  n. 
  {Railing}.] 
  1.  To  inclose  with  rails  or  a  railing. 
 
  It  ought  to  be  fenced  in  and  railed.  --Ayliffe. 
 
  2.  To  range  in  a  line  [Obs.] 
 
  They  were  brought  to  London  all  railed  in  ropes, 
  like  a  team  of  horses  in  a  cart.  --Bacon. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Rail  \Rail\,  v.  t. 
  1.  To  rail  at  [Obs.]  --Feltham. 
 
  2.  To  move  or  influence  by  railing.  [R.] 
 
  Rail  the  seal  from  off  my  bond.  --Shak. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Rail  \Rail\,  n.  [F.  r[^a]le,  fr  r[^a]ler  to  have  a  rattling  in 
  the  throat;  of  German  origin,  and  akin  to  E.  rattle.  See 
  {Rattle},  v.]  (Zo["o]l.) 
  Any  one  of  numerous  species  of  limicoline  birds  of  the  family 
  {Rallid[ae]},  especially  those  of  the  genus  {Rallus},  and  of 
  closely  allied  genera.  They  are  prized  as  game  birds. 
 
  Note:  The  common  European  water  rail  ({Rallus  aquaticus})  is 
  called  also  {bilcock},  {skitty  coot},  and  {brook 
  runner}.  The  best  known  American  species  are  the 
  clapper  rail,  or  salt-marsh  hen  ({Rallus  lonqirostris}, 
  var.  {crepitans});  the  king,  or  red-breasted,  rail  ({R. 
  elegans})  (called  also  {fresh-water  marshhen});  the 
  lesser  clapper,  or  Virginia,  rail  ({R.  Virginianus}); 
  and  the  Carolina,  or  sora,  rail  ({Porzana  Carolina}). 
  See  {Sora}. 
 
  {Land  rail}  (Zo["o]l.),  the  corncrake. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  rail 
  n  1:  a  barrier  consisting  of  a  horizontal  rail  and  supports  [syn: 
  {railing}] 
  2:  short  for  railway;  "he  traveled  by  rail"  or  "he  was 
  concerned  with  rail  safety" 
  3:  a  bar  or  bars  of  rolled  steel  making  a  track  along  which 
  vehicles  can  roll  [syn:  {track},  {rails}] 
  4:  a  horizontal  bar  (usually  of  wood) 
  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 
  v  1:  complain  bitterly  [syn:  {inveigh}] 
  2:  spread  negative  information  about  "The  Nazi  propaganda 
  vilified  the  Jews"  [syn:  {vilify},  {revile},  {vituperate}] 
  3:  criticize  severely;  "He  fulminated  against  the  Republicans' 
  plan  to  cut  Medicare";  "She  railed  against  the  bad  social 
  policies"  [syn:  {fulminate}] 
 
  From  The  Free  On-line  Dictionary  of  Computing  (13  Mar  01)  [foldoc]: 
 
  RAIL 
 
    Automatix.  High-level  language  for  industrial 
  robots. 
 
 

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