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Definitions for: Railroad
[n] a line of track providing a runway for wheels; "he walked along the railroad track"
[n] line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a railway system
[v] transport by railroad
[v] supply with railroad lines; "railroad the West"
[v] compel by coercion, threats, or crude means; "They sandbagged him to make dinner for everyone"
Webster (1913) Definition: Rail"road`, v. t.
To carry or send by railroad; usually fig., to send or put
through at high speed or in great haste; to hurry or rush
unduly; as, to railroad a bill through Condress. [Colloq., U.
S.]
Rail"road`, Railway Rail"way`, n.
1. A road or way consisting of one or more parallel series of
iron or steel rails, patterned and adjusted to be tracks
for the wheels of vehicles, and suitably supported on a
bed or substructure.
Note: The modern railroad is a development and adaptation of
the older tramway.
2. The road, track, etc., with al the lands, buildings,
rolling stock, franchises, etc., pertaining to them and
constituting one property; as, certain railroad has been
put into the hands of a receiver.
Note: Railway is the commoner word in England; railroad the
commoner word in the United States.
Note: In the following and similar phrases railroad and
railway are used interchangeably:
Atmospheric railway, Elevated railway, etc. See under
Atmospheric, Elevated, etc.
Cable railway. See Cable road, under Cable.
Perry railway, a submerged track on which an elevated
platform runs, fro carrying a train of cars across a water
course.
Gravity railway, a railway, in a hilly country, on which
the cars run by gravity down gentle slopes for long
distances after having been hauled up steep inclines to an
elevated point by stationary engines.
Railway brake, a brake used in stopping railway cars or
locomotives.
Railway car, a large, heavy vehicle with flanged wheels
fitted for running on a railway. [U.S.]
Railway carriage, a railway passenger car. [Eng.]
Railway scale, a platform scale bearing a track which forms
part of the line of a railway, for weighing loaded cars.
Railway slide. See Transfer table, under Transfer.
Railway spine (Med.), an abnormal condition due to severe
concussion of the spinal cord, such as occurs in railroad
accidents. It is characterized by ataxia and other
disturbances of muscular function, sensory disorders, pain
in the back, impairment of general health, and cerebral
disturbance, -- the symptoms often not developing till
some months after the injury.
Underground railroad or railway.
(a) A railroad or railway running through a tunnel, as
beneath the streets of a city.
(b) Formerly, a system of co["o]peration among certain
active antislavery people in the United States, by
which fugitive slaves were secretly helped to reach
Canada.
Note: [In the latter sense railroad, and not railway, was
used.] ``Their house was a principal entrep[^o]t of the
underground railroad.'' --W. D. Howells.
Synonyms: dragoon, railroad line, railroad track, railway, railway system, sandbag
See Also: broad gauge, cable railway, coerce, cog railway, crosstie, el, elevated railroad, elevated railway, force, funicular, funicular railway, furnish, gantlet, hale, line, metro, monorail, narrow gauge, overhead railway, pressure, provide, rack railway, rail, rail line, railroad siding, railroad tie, rails, railway line, render, scenic railway, send, ship, sidetrack, siding, sleeper, standard gauge, subway, supply, switch, tie, track, transport, tube, underground
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