railroad — a track with rails on which trains run; a railway system
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: a track with rails on which trains run; a railway system
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈreɪlroʊd/
Example Sentences
- The old railroad has been converted into a hiking trail for weekend warriors.
- Don't try to railroad me into buying that expensive car!
- The railroad baron built his empire one track at a time, like a really slow Monopoly game.
railroad
NOUN[/ˈreɪlroʊd/]
a track with rails on which trains run; a railway system
The railroad connected distant towns and made travel much easier.
The children built a toy railroad by laying rails across the floor. (RAIL + ROAD → a road made of rails)
The railroad reached a crossroad and eventually carried travelers abroad.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Railroad is a 19th-century American compound word formed to distinguish rail-based transportation from traditional horse-drawn carriage routes. It emerged with the invention of the steam locomotive as a practical term to describe a path constructed with iron rails for mechanized transport.
Breakdown
rail (iron track) + road (path or way) = railroad. The compound combines the noun 'rail' (from Old French 'reille', a bar or rod) with 'road' (from Old English 'rad', a riding or way) to denote a thoroughfare equipped with rails for train travel.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The old railroad has been converted into a hiking trail for weekend warriors.”
“Don't try to railroad me into buying that expensive car!”
“The railroad baron built his empire one track at a time, like a really slow Monopoly game.”
“The first transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869.”
“My grandfather worked for the railroad for 40 years and never missed a train - because he was usually driving it!”
📚Related Words
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