railing

[rey-ling] /ˈreɪ lɪŋ/
noun
1.
a fencelike barrier composed of one or more horizontal rails supported by widely spaced uprights; balustrade.
2.
banister.
3.
rails collectively.
Origin
1350-1400; rail1 + -ing1

rail1

[reyl] /reɪl/
noun
1.
a bar of wood or metal fixed horizontally for any of various purposes, as for a support, barrier, fence, or railing.
2.
a fence; railing.
3.
one of two fences marking the inside and outside boundaries of a racetrack.
4.
one of a pair of steel bars that provide the running surfaces for the wheels of locomotives and railroad cars.
5.
the railroad as a means of transportation:
to travel by rail.
6.
rails, stocks or bonds of railroad companies.
7.
Nautical. a horizontal member capping a bulwark.
8.
Carpentry, Furniture. any of various horizontal members framing panels or the like, as in a system of paneling, paneled door, window sash, or chest of drawers.
Compare stile2 .
9.
Slang. a line of cocaine crystals or powder for inhaling through the nose.
verb (used with object)
10.
to furnish or enclose with a rail or rails.
Origin
1250-1300; Middle English raile < Old French raille bar, beam < Latin rēgula bar, straight piece of wood, regula
Related forms
railless, adjective
raillike, adjective

rail2

[reyl] /reɪl/
verb (used without object)
1.
to utter bitter complaint or vehement denunciation (often followed by at or against):
to rail at fate.
verb (used with object)
2.
to bring, force, etc., by railing.
Origin
1425-75; late Middle English railen < Middle French railler to deride < Provençal ralhar to chatter < Vulgar Latin *ragulāre, derivative of Late Latin ragere to bray
Related forms
railer, noun
railingly, adverb
Synonyms
1. fulminate, inveigh, castigate, rant, revile.
Examples from the web for railing
  • The barrier on top of a wall could be a fence, beam guard, or a railing.
  • For a higher deck, check whether a railing may be necessary.
  • The iron railing was cold even through my leather mittens.
  • Speculation that it might be an elevator car railing has not been confirmed.
  • The waterfront railing is itself a wonderful piece of design.
  • railing against a banned book that few here have managed to obtain and read is an easy way to stir up populist fervor.
  • They wanted a light railing put up, and help to keep the people back.
  • On the bridge he stood by the railing and began gazing at the water.
  • He seemed at ease only when writing and railing against various forms of tyranny.
  • He opened them to see the priest, hands wrapped around the railing, staring at the spectacular view.
British Dictionary definitions for railing

railing

/ˈreɪlɪŋ/
noun
1.
(often pl) a fence, balustrade, or barrier that consists of rails supported by posts
2.
rails collectively or material for making rails

rail1

/reɪl/
noun
1.
a horizontal bar of wood, metal, etc, supported by vertical posts, functioning as a fence, barrier, handrail, etc
2.
a horizontal bar fixed to a wall on which to hang things: a picture rail
3.
a horizontal framing member in a door or piece of panelling Compare stile2
4.
short for railing
5.
one of a pair of parallel bars laid on a prepared track, roadway, etc, that serve as a guide and running surface for the wheels of a railway train, tramcar, etc
6.
  1. short for railway
  2. (as modifier): rail transport
7.
(nautical) a trim for finishing the top of a bulwark
8.
off the rails
  1. into or in a state of dysfunction or disorder
  2. eccentric or mad
verb (transitive)
9.
to provide with a rail or railings
10.
usually foll by in or off. to fence (an area) with rails
Derived Forms
railless, adjective
Word Origin
C13: from Old French raille rod, from Latin rēgula ruler, straight piece of wood

rail2

/reɪl/
verb
1.
(intransitive; foll by at or against) to complain bitterly or vehemently: to rail against fate
Derived Forms
railer, noun
Word Origin
C15: from Old French railler to mock, from Old Provençal ralhar to chatter, joke, from Late Latin ragere to yell, neigh

rail3

/reɪl/
noun
1.
any of various small wading birds of the genus Rallus and related genera: family Rallidae, order Gruiformes (cranes, etc). They have short wings, long legs, and dark plumage
Word Origin
C15: from Old French raale, perhaps from Latin rādere to scrape
Word Origin and History for railing
n.

"construction in which rails form an important part," early 15c., verbal noun from rail (v.2). Technically, railings (late 15c.) are horizontal, palings are vertical.

rail

n.

"horizontal bar passing from one post or support to another," c.1300, from Old French reille "bolt, bar," from Vulgar Latin *regla, from Latin regula "straight stick," diminutive form related to regere "to straighten, guide" (see regal). Used figuratively for thinness from 1872. To be off the rails in a figurative sense is from 1848, an image from the railroads. In U.S. use, "A piece of timber, cleft, hewed, or sawed, inserted in upright posts for fencing" [Webster, 1830].

"small wading bird," mid-15c., from Old French raale (13c.), related to râler "to rattle," of unknown origin, perhaps imitative of its cry.

v.

"complain," mid-15c., from Middle French railler "to tease or joke" (15c.), perhaps from Old Provençal ralhar "scoff, to chat, to joke," from Vulgar Latin *ragulare "to bray" (cf. Italian ragghiare "to bray"), from Late Latin ragere "to roar," probably of imitative origin. See rally (v.2). Related: Railed; railing.

"fence in with rails," late 14c., from rail (n.1). Related: Railed; railing.

Slang definitions & phrases for railing

rail

noun
  1. A thin row of powdered narcotic to be sniffed; line: I snorted the rails that Hondo offered (1960s+ Narcotics)
  2. An elongated sort of competition hot rod (1970s+ Hot rodders)

Idioms and Phrases with railing

rail

see: