Definition

1. Noun:
   • Sleeper: A rectangular support, traditionally made of wood but also of concrete or steel, placed horizontally and perpendicular to the rails on a railway track. Its primary function is to hold the rails in place, maintain the correct gauge (distance between rails), and distribute the weight of the train to the underlying ballast and ground.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Đường sắt này sử dụng tà vẹt bằng bê tông. (This railway uses concrete sleepers.)
  • Công nhân đang thay thế những thanh tà vẹt gỗ đã mục. (Workers are replacing the rotten wooden sleepers.)
  • Tà vẹt phải đủ chắc chắn để chịu tải trọng của đoàn tàu. (The sleeper must be strong enough to bear the load of the train.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "tà vẹt" is specific to railway infrastructure. In everyday conversation, it is almost exclusively used in this technical context.

Variants and Related Words

• Thanh tà vẹt: A more descriptive phrase meaning "sleeper beam" or "sleeper bar."
  • Họ đã vận chuyển hàng trăm thanh tà vẹt mới đến công trường. (They transported hundreds of new sleeper beams to the construction site.)

Synonyms

• Railroad tie / Railway sleeper: The standard technical terms in English.
• Cross-tie: Another term used, primarily in American English.

Related Terms (Infrastructure Context)

• Đường ray (n): Rail.
• Ba-lát (n): Ballast (the layer of crushed stone beneath the sleepers).
• Đinh ray (n): Rail spike (used to fasten rails to wooden sleepers).
• Bản đệm ray (n): Baseplate or tie plate (used between the rail and the sleeper).

noun

1. sleeper