Get Affordable VMs - excellent virtual server hosting


browse words by letter
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

railwaymore about railway

railway

 

  3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Railroad  \Rail"road`\,  Railway  \Rail"way`\,  n. 
  1.  A  road  or  way  consisting  of  one  or  more  parallel  series  of 
  iron  or  steel  rails,  patterned  and  adjusted  to  be  tracks 
  for  the  wheels  of  vehicles,  and  suitably  supported  on  a 
  bed  or  substructure. 
 
  Note:  The  modern  railroad  is  a  development  and  adaptation  of 
  the  older  tramway. 
 
  2.  The  road,  track,  etc.,  with  al  the  lands,  buildings, 
  rolling  stock,  franchises,  etc.,  pertaining  to  them  and 
  constituting  one  property;  as  certain  railroad  has  been 
  put  into  the  hands  of  a  receiver. 
 
  Note:  Railway  is  the  commoner  word  in  England;  railroad  the 
  commoner  word  in  the  United  States. 
 
  Note:  In  the  following  and  similar  phrases  railroad  and 
  railway  are  used  interchangeably: 
 
  {Atmospheric  railway},  {Elevated  railway},  etc  See  under 
  {Atmospheric},  {Elevated},  etc 
 
  {Cable  railway}.  See  {Cable  road},  under  {Cable}. 
 
  {Perry  railway},  a  submerged  track  on  which  an  elevated 
  platform  runs,  fro  carrying  a  train  of  cars  across  a  water 
  course. 
 
  {Gravity  railway},  a  railway,  in  a  hilly  country,  on  which 
  the  cars  run  by  gravity  down  gentle  slopes  for  long 
  distances  after  having  been  hauled  up  steep  inclines  to  an 
  elevated  point  by  stationary  engines. 
 
  {Railway  brake},  a  brake  used  in  stopping  railway  cars  or 
  locomotives. 
 
  {Railway  car},  a  large  heavy  vehicle  with  flanged  wheels 
  fitted  for  running  on  a  railway.  [U.S.] 
 
  {Railway  carriage},  a  railway  passenger  car  [Eng.] 
 
  {Railway  scale},  a  platform  scale  bearing  a  track  which  forms 
  part  of  the  line  of  a  railway,  for  weighing  loaded  cars. 
 
 
  {Railway  slide}.  See  {Transfer  table},  under  {Transfer}. 
 
  {Railway  spine}  (Med.),  an  abnormal  condition  due  to  severe 
  concussion  of  the  spinal  cord,  such  as  occurs  in  railroad 
  accidents.  It  is  characterized  by  ataxia  and  other 
  disturbances  of  muscular  function,  sensory  disorders,  pain 
  in  the  back  impairment  of  general  health,  and  cerebral 
  disturbance,  --  the  symptoms  often  not  developing  till 
  some  months  after  the  injury. 
 
  {Underground  railroad}  or  {railway}. 
  a  A  railroad  or  railway  running  through  a  tunnel,  as 
  beneath  the  streets  of  a  city. 
  b  Formerly,  a  system  of  co["o]peration  among  certain 
  active  antislavery  people  in  the  United  States,  by 
  which  fugitive  slaves  were  secretly  helped  to  reach 
  Canada. 
 
  Note:  [In  the  latter  sense  railroad,  and  not  railway,  was 
  used.]  ``Their  house  was  a  principal  entrep[^o]t  of  the 
  underground  railroad.''  --W.  D.  Howells. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Underground  \Un"der*ground`\,  a. 
  1.  Being  below  the  surface  of  the  ground;  as  an  underground 
  story  or  apartment. 
 
  2.  Done  or  occurring  out  of  sight;  secret.  [Colloq.] 
 
  {Underground  railroad}  or  {railway}.  See  under  {Railroad}. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  railway 
  n  1:  the  commercial  organization  responsible  for  operating  a 
  railway  system  [syn:  {railroad},  {railroad  line},  {railway 
  line},  {railway  system}] 
  2:  a  line  of  track  providing  a  runway  for  wheels  [syn:  {railroad 
  track}]




more about railway