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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Rail \Rail\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Railed} (r[=a]ld); p. pr. &
vb. n. {Railing}.]
1. To inclose with rails or a railing.
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It ought to be fenced in and railed. --Ayliffe.
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2. To range in a line. [Obs.]
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They were brought to London all railed in ropes,
like a team of horses in a cart. --Bacon.
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Rail \Rail\, v. i. [Etymol. uncertain.]
To flow forth; to roll out; to course. [Obs.]
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Streams of tears from her fair eyes forth railing.
--Spenser.
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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.
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2. (Arch.) A horizontal piece in a frame or paneling. See
Illust. of {Style}.
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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.
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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.
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5. A railroad as a means of transportation; as, to go by
rail; a place not accesible by rail.
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6. a railing.
[PJC]

{Rail fence}. See under {Fence}.

{Rail guard}.
(a) A device attached to the front of a locomotive on each
side for clearing the rail of 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.
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Rail \Rail\ (r[=a]l), 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.
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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.] (Zool.)
Any one of numerous species of limicoline birds of the family
{Rallidae}, especially those of the genus {Rallus}, and of
closely allied genera. They are prized as game birds.
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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 longirostris},
var. crepitans); the king, or red-breasted, rail
({Rallus elegans}) (called also {fresh-water
marshhen}); the lesser clapper, or Virginia, rail
({Rallus Virginianus}); and the Carolina, or sora, rail
({Porzana Carolina}). See {Sora}.
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{Land rail} (Zool.), the corncrake.
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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.
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And rail at arts he did not understand. --Dryden.
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Lesbia forever on me rails. --Swift.
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Rail \Rail\ (r[=a]l), v. t.
1. To rail at. [Obs.] --Feltham.
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2. To move or influence by railing. [R.]
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Rail the seal from off my bond. --Shak.
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