/ Dictionary / Index R rail: Meaning and Definition of Find definitions for: rail Pronunciation: (rāl), [key] — n. a bar of wood or metal fixed horizontally for any of various purposes, as for a support, barrier, fence, or railing. a fence; railing. one of two fences marking the inside and outside boundaries of a racetrack. one of a pair of steel bars that provide the running surfaces for the wheels of locomotives and railroad cars. See illus. under the railroad as a means of transportation: to travel by rail. stocks or bonds of railroad companies. a horizontal member capping a bulwark. any of various horizontal members framing panels or the like, as in a system of paneling, paneled door, window sash, or chest of drawers. Cf.. a line of cocaine crystals or powder for inhaling through the nose. —v.t. to furnish or enclose with a rail or rails. rail Pronunciation: (rāl), [key] — v.i. to utter bitter complaint or vehement denunciation (often fol. by at or against): to rail at fate. —v.t. to bring, force, etc., by railing. rail Pronunciation: (rāl), [key] — n. any of numerous birds of the family Rallidae, that have short wings, a narrow body, long toes, and a harsh cry and inhabit grasslands, forests, and marshes in most parts of the world. Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease. See also: rail (Thesaurus) raider railage Related Content Daily Word Quiz: clairvoyant Analogy of the Day: Today’s Analogy Spelling Bee: Today’s Spelling Bee Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language