Definition

Noun 1. A bar or pair of parallel bars of rolled steel making the railway along which railroad cars or other vehicles can roll. * This is the primary meaning, referring to the long, metal tracks that guide trains, trams, or other wheeled vehicles.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The train sped along the rails.
  • Workers are replacing the old rails on this section of the track.
  • The model train set comes with plastic rails.

Advanced Usage

• "Off the rails": An idiom meaning to become out of control, disorganized, or crazy.
  • After the scandal, the company's project went completely off the rails.
  • His life seemed to spin off the rails after he lost his job.

Variants and Related Words

• Railroad (noun): The entire system of tracks, stations, and trains.
• Railway (noun): Synonym for railroad; also used in British English.
• Railing (noun): A fence or barrier made of rails and posts, typically for safety on a balcony, staircase, or alongside a path.
  • He held onto the railing as he walked down the steep stairs.

Synonyms

• Tracks: The pair of rails forming a path for a train.
• Railroad tracks: Specifically denotes the rails used for trains.

Related Phrases

• "Back on the rails": The opposite of "off the rails"; meaning to return to a normal, controlled, or successful state.
  • With the new manager, the team got back on the rails quickly.

Related Idioms

• "Run off the rails": Similar to "go off the rails," meaning to fail or become chaotic.
  • The negotiations ran off the rails when neither side would compromise.

Noun

1. a bar or pair of parallel bars of rolled steel making the railway along which railroad cars or other vehicles can roll