rail

Meanings

Noun

• A horizontal bar extending between supports and used for support or as a barrier; a railing.
• The metal bar that makes the track for a railroad.
• A railroad; a railway, as a means of transportation.
• A horizontal piece of wood that serves to separate sections of a door or window.
• One of the lengthwise edges of a surfboard.
• A vertical section on one side of a web page.
• A large line .
• Any of several birds in the family Rallidae.
• An item of clothing; a cloak or other garment; a dress.
• Specifically, a woman's headscarf or neckerchief.

Verb

• To travel by railway.
• To enclose with rails or a railing.
• To range in a line.
• To sexually penetrate in rough manner.
• To complain violently (against, about).
• To gush, flow.

Origin

• From Middle English rail, rayl, *reȝel, *reȝol (found in reȝolsticke), partly from Old English regol ("a ruler, straight bar") and partly from Old French reille; both from Latin regula ("rule, bar"), from regere; see regular.
• From French râle, Old French rasle. Compare Medieval Latin rallus. Named from its harsh cry, Vulgar Latin *rasculum, from Latin rādō ("to scrape").
• From Middle French railler.
• From Middle English rail, reil, from Old English hræġl. Cognate with Old Frisian hreil, reil, Old Saxon hregil, Old High German hregil.
• Probably from Anglo-Norman raier, Middle French raier.