rail

I. 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 • railer noun