railroad

UK: /ˈreɪlrəʊd/ US: /ˈreɪlˌroʊd/ ,(rāl′rōd′)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

rail•road /ˈreɪlˌroʊd/   n. [countable]

1. Rail Transport a permanent road made of rails, commonly in one or more pairs of continuous lines forming a track or tracks, on which locomotives and cars are run for carrying passengers, freight, and mail.
2. Rail Transport an entire system of such roads together with its engines, cars, buildings, etc.:
   a transcontinental railroad.

v. [~ + object]

3. Rail Transport to transport by means of a railroad.
4. Informal Terms to push (a law or bill) quickly through a law-making body so that there is not enough time for objections to be considered.
5. to pressure, force, or coerce into an action or decision too quickly:
   We were railroaded into signing a bad deal.
6. Informal Terms to convict (a defendant in a trial) too quickly and by means of false charges.

rail•road•er, n. [countable]
rail•road•ing, n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

rail•road  (rāl′rōd′), n. 

1. Rail Transport a permanent road laid with rails, commonly in one or more pairs of continuous lines forming a track or tracks, on which locomotives and cars are run for the transportation of passengers, freight, and mail.
2. Rail Transport an entire system of such roads together with its rolling stock, buildings, etc.;
   the entire railway plant, including fixed and movable property.
3. the company of persons owning or operating such a plant.
4. Sport [Bowling.] a split.
5. railroads, stocks or bonds of railroad companies.

v.t. 

6. Rail Transport to transport by means of a railroad.
7. Rail Transport to supply with railroads.
8. Informal Terms to push (a law or bill) hastily through a legislature so that there is not time enough for objections to be considered.
9. Informal Terms to convict (a person) in a hasty manner by means of false charges or insufficient evidence:
   The prisoner insisted he had been railroaded.

v.i. 

10. Rail Transport to work on a railroad.

• 1750–60; 1875–85 for def. 9; rail¹ + road

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

railroad / ˈreɪlˌrəʊd/ noun

1. the usual US word for railway

verb

1. (transitive) to force (a person) into (an action) with haste or by unfair means