From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishldoce_281_irailrail1 /reɪl/ ●●● S2 W2 noun 1 [uncountable]TTT 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 Londonby rail We continued our journey by rail. I need to buy a rail ticket. cheap rail fares2 [countable]TTT one of the two long metal tracks fastened to the ground that trains move along3 [countable]DHTBB 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, handrail4 [countable]DHDC a bar that you use to hang things on a towel rail a curtain rail5 → go off the rails6 → back on the railsCOLLOCATIONSrail + 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.railrail2 verb 1 [transitive]SEPARATE to enclose or separate an area with rails → cordon offrail something off/in The police railed off the area where the accident happened.2 [intransitive, transitive] formalANGRY to complain angrily about something, especially something that you think is very unfairrail against/at Consumers rail against the way companies fix prices.→ See Verb tableExamples 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” 