rail

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++

Related topics: Trains & railways, Household, Buildings, Clothes & fashion

ldoce_281_irail1 /reɪl/ ●●● S2 W2 noun  1  [uncountable]TTT the railway system 铁路系统 → train the American rail system 美国铁路系统 a high-speed rail network 一个高速铁路网络 Passengers want a better rail service. 乘客希望有更好的铁路服务。 the Channel Tunnel and its rail links with London 英吉利海峡隧道及其与伦敦之间的铁路连接by rail We continued our journey by rail. 我们乘火车继续旅行。 I need to buy a rail ticket. 我要买一张火车票。 cheap rail fares 便宜的火车票价 →5  See picture of curtain rail 窗帘杆, towel rail 毛巾杆, handrail 扶手 ...2. [countable]TTT one of the two long metal tracks fastened to the ground that trains move along 铁路路轨3  [countable]DHTBB a bar that is fastened along or around something, especially to stop you from going somewhere or from falling 栏杆；扶手 Several passengers were leaning against the ship’s rail. 几名乘客斜靠在轮船的栏杆上。 → guardrail, handrail4  [countable]DHDC a bar that you use to hang things on 〔挂东西用的〕横杆 a towel rail 毛巾杆 a curtain rail 窗帘杆5  go off the rails informalSSSC to start behaving in a strange or socially unacceptable way 举止怪异；行为越轨 At 17 he suddenly went off the rails and started stealing. 17 岁那年，他突然走上歪路，开始偷窃。6  back on the rails happening or functioning normally again 恢复常态；东山再起 The coach was credited with putting the team back on the rails. 球队能重回正轨，是教练的功劳。n COLLOCATIONSrail + NOUNthe rail network/system (=the system of railway lines in a country)The government has spent £2 billion on improving the country's rail network.a rail servicePeople want a safe, reliable rail service.a rail ticketa first-class rail ticketa rail fareRail fares are to increase by up to 9.4%.rail travelThey had introduced measures to make rail travel safer.a rail passengerRail passengers will have to pay more for their tickets next year.a rail crashPolice have named four more victims of the Selby rail crash.a rail link (=that makes train travel between two places possible)He proposed building a high-speed rail link between the two airports.

Examples from the Corpus

rail• rail travel• Visitors can enter the city by rail or by boat.• With the clamping blocks, join the leg frames with the other rails forming two half hexagons.• Albert Tarr was lying half on top of Mrs. Thomas between the rails.• On the rails, Amtrak reported 60-minute delays on its Northeast Corridor line.• In other words, Mister Gleason in my estimation has lobbed this one over the rail.• The best way to find out how they were attached is to chisel away a little plaster next to the rail.• Hold on to the rail as you walk up the stairs.• The rails were bumpier than usual this evening.• a towel railrail system• Then the narrow gauge became the standard Voice over A rail system based on a horse's behind.• They've built roads and bridges and rail systems.• On the north Kent lines, the Government want to see a modern, first-class rail system in Network SouthEast.• Caltrain carries more bicyclists than any other commuter rail system in the United States, according to Caltrain officials.• Last year, 68 pedestrians were killed on the 6,500-mile rail system that stretches throughout the state.• Privatisations gone wrong in rich countries have included the rail system in Britain, electricity in California and water in New Zealand.• An important application could be in low-speed urban rail systems, which often have tight corners.towel rail• The few electrical fittings which are allowed in bathrooms, such as heated towel rails, will already have their own earth connections.• The alternative to this is a separate, electrically heated towel rail.• Roll top baths, mixers, heated towel rails, soaps and towels.• If you have a small bathroom, why not consider a radiator with a built-in towel rail?• Kicking off his muddy wellingtons, he walked across to the towel rail on the far side of the old-fashioned kitchen.rail2 verb  1  [transitive]SEPARATE to enclose or separate an area with rails 用栏杆把…围起；把…隔开 → cordon offrail something off/in The police railed off the area where the accident happened. 警察用围栏把事故现场隔开。2  [intransitive, transitive] formalANGRY to complain angrily about something, especially something that you think is very unfair 怒斥；抱怨rail against/at Consumers rail against the way companies fix prices. 消费者谴责公司的定价方式。→ See Verb table

Examples from the Corpus

rail• The legislators, of course, know better than to rail against evolution.• Besides which, it was my country that was polluting her, and he needed some one to rail against.rail against/at• Besides which, it was my country that was polluting her, and he needed some one to rail against.• The legislators, of course, know better than to rail against evolution.• During his sermon, the priest railed against greed.• To rail at her meant opening a conversation, and this involved preposterous changes in his day.• Old men used to mutter about him, rail at him, as the Israelites did to Moses.• He braced his hand on the staircase rail at his left and looked around him into the shadows.• I will rail against its present problems and I will certainly fight for its future.• While he has railed against new government mandates, Dole supported a mandate requiring more use of ethanol.• A wooden rail at waist height barred their way; they must be very close to the edge of the cliff.From Longman Business Dictionaryrailrail /reɪl/ noun [uncountable]TRANSPORTTRANSPORT travel or transport by trainWhat percentage of goods are sent by rail?rail travelOrigin rail1 (1200-1300) Old French reille “bar”, from Latin regula “ruler”, from regere “to keep straight” rail2 (1400-1500) French railler “to make fun of”, from Late Latin ragere “to make the sound of a horse”

rail1 noun →n COLLOCATIONS1rail2 verbLDOCE OnlineChinese  

system railway the Corpus Business

rail

I

rail¹ S2 W2 /reɪl/ noun1. [uncountable] the railway system ⇨ train:
    the American rail system
    a high-speed rail network
    Passengers want a better rail service.
    the Channel Tunnel and its rail links with London
    by rail
    We continued our journey by rail.
    I need to buy a rail ticket.
    cheap rail fares
2. [countable] one of the two long metal tracks fastened to the ground that trains move along
3. [countable] a bar that is fastened along or around something, especially to stop you from going somewhere or from falling:
    Several passengers were leaning against the ship’s rail. ⇨ guardrail, handrail
4. [countable] a bar that you use to hang things on:
    a towel rail
    a curtain rail
5. go off the rails informal to start behaving in a strange or socially unacceptable way:
    At 17 he suddenly went off the rails and started stealing.
6. back on the rails happening or functioning normally again:
    The coach was credited with putting the team back on the rails.
     

COLLOCATIONS

■ rail + NOUN
   ▪ the rail network/system (=the system of railway lines in a country) The government has spent £2 billion on improving the country's rail network.
   ▪ a rail service People want a safe, reliable rail service.
   ▪ a rail ticket a first-class rail ticket
   ▪ a rail fare Rail fares are to increase by up to 9.4%.
   ▪ rail travel They had introduced measures to make rail travel safer.
   ▪ a rail passenger Rail passengers will have to pay more for their tickets next year.
   ▪ a rail crash Police have named four more victims of the Selby rail crash.
   ▪ a rail link (=that makes train travel between two places possible) He proposed building a high-speed rail link between the two airports.

II

rail² verb1. [transitive] to enclose or separate an area with rails ⇨ cordon off
    rail something off/in
    The police railed off the area where the accident happened.
2. [intransitive and transitive] formal to complain angrily about something, especially something that you think is very unfair
    rail against/at
    Consumers rail against the way companies fix prices.