1. [n]  any of numerous widely distributed small wading birds of the family Rallidae having short wings and very long toes for running on soft mud
2. [n]  a horizontal bar (usually of wood)
3. [n]  short for railway; "he traveled by rail"; "he was concerned with rail safety"
4. [n]  a barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports
5. [n]  a bar or bars of rolled steel making a track along which vehicles can roll
6. [v]  criticize severely; "He fulminated against the Republicans' plan to cut Medicare"; "She railed against the bad social policies"
7. [v]  spread negative information about; "The Nazi propaganda vilified the Jews"
8. [v]  complain bitterly
9. [v]  fish with a hand-line aver the rails of a boat; "They are railing for fresh fish"
10. [v]  lay with rails; "hundreds of miles were railed out here"
11. [v]  travel by rail or train; "They railed from Rome to Venice"; "She trained to Hamburg"
12. [v]  convey (goods etc.) by rails; "fresh fruit are railed from Italy to Belgium"
13. [v]  separate with a railing; "rail off the crowds from the Presidential palace"
14. [v]  provide or enclose with rails; "The yard was railed"
15. [v]  enclose with rails; "rail in the old graves"

1. \Rail\, n.
   A railroad as a means of transportation; as, to go by rail; a
   place not accesible by rail.
   

2. \Rail\, 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.
   

3. \Rail\, v. i. [Etymol. uncertain.]
   To flow forth; to roll out; to course. [Obs.]
         Streams of tears from her fair eyes forth railing.
                                                  --Spenser.
   

4. \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.
   2. (Arch.) A horizontal piece in a frame or paneling. See
      Illust. of {Style}.
   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.
   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.
   {Rail fence}. See under {Fence}.
   {Rail guard}.
      (a) A device attached to the front of a locomotive on each
          side for clearing the rail 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.
   

5. \Rail\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Railed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Railing}.]
   1. To inclose with rails or a railing.
            It ought to be fenced in and railed.  --Ayliffe.
   2. To range in a line. [Obs.]
            They were brought to London all railed in ropes,
            like a team of horses in a cart.      --Bacon.
   

6. \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.] (Zo["o]l.)
   Any one of numerous species of limicoline birds of the family
   {Rallid[ae]}, especially those of the genus {Rallus}, and of
   closely allied genera. They are prized as game birds.
   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 lonqirostris},
         var. {crepitans}); the king, or red-breasted, rail ({R.
         elegans}) (called also {fresh-water marshhen}); the
         lesser clapper, or Virginia, rail ({R. Virginianus});
         and the Carolina, or sora, rail ({Porzana Carolina}).
         See {Sora}.
   {Land rail} (Zo["o]l.), the corncrake.
   

7. \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.
         And rail at arts he did not understand.  --Dryden.
         Lesbia forever on me rails.              --Swift.
   

8. \Rail\, v. t.
   1. To rail at. [Obs.] --Feltham.
   2. To move or influence by railing. [R.]
            Rail the seal from off my bond.       --Shak.
   

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