I. ˈrāl noun
Etymology: Middle English raile, from Anglo-French raille, reille bar, rule, from Latin regula straightedge, rule — more at rule
Date: 14th century
1.
a. : a bar extending from one post or support to another and serving as a guard or barrier
b. : a structural member or support
2.
a. : railing 1
b. : a light structure serving as a guard at the outer edge of a ship's deck
c. : a fence bounding a racetrack
3.
a. : a bar of rolled steel forming a track for wheeled vehicles
b. : track
c. : railroad
II. transitive verb
Date: 14th century
: to provide with a railing : fence
III. noun
( plural rail or rails )
Etymology: Middle English raile, from Middle French raalle
Date: 15th century
: any of numerous wading birds (family Rallidae, the rail family) that are of small or medium size and have short rounded wings, a short tail, and usually very long toes which enable them to run on the soft mud of marshes
IV. intransitive verb
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French railler to mock, probably from Old French reillier to growl, mutter, from Vulgar Latin * ragulare to bray, from Late Latin ragere to neigh
Date: 15th century
: to revile or scold in harsh, insolent, or abusive language
Synonyms: see scold
• rail·er noun