*rail*

n. [ See Apparel, n. & v. ] Preparation. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. brayle furling rope, OF. braiol a band placed around the breeches, fr.F. braies, pl., breeches, fr. L. braca, bracae, breeches, a Gallic word; cf. Arm. bragez. Cf. Breeches. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. (Falconry) A thong of soft leather to bind up a hawk's wing. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. pl. (Naut.) Ropes passing through pulleys, and used to haul in or up the leeches, bottoms, or corners of sails, preparatory to furling. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A stock at each end of a seine to keep it stretched. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. (Naut.) To haul up by the brails; -- used with up; as, to brail up a sail. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. A system of printing or writing for the blind in which the characters and numerals are represented by patterns of raised tangible points or dots. It was invented by Louis Braille, a French teacher of the blind. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

v. 1. to transcribe in Braille. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. The upper rail of any parapet of ordinary height, as of a balcony; the railing of a quarter-deck, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

. A form of cash carrier in which a small carrier or car travels upon a kind of track. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

. (Elec.) A system of electric traction, esp. for light railways, in which the actuating current passes along a wire or rail laid in an underground conduit, from which the current is “picked up” by a plow or other device fixed to the car or electric locomotive. Hence . [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ See Creel. ] A creel or osier basket. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Derailed p. pr. & vb. n. Derailing. ] To cause to run off from the rails of a railroad, as a locomotive. Lardner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of going off, or the state of being off, the rails of a railroad. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To disembowel; to let out or draw forth, as the entrails. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

As if he thought her soul to disentrail. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. & i. [ √73. ] To trail; to draggle. [ Obs. ] South. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To form an edging or border; to run in curved or indented lines. Parnell. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Engrailed p. pr. & vb. n. Engrailing. ] [ F. engrêler; pref. en- (L. in) + grêle hail. See Grail gravel. ] 1. To variegate or spot, as with hail. [ 1913 Webster ]

A caldron new engrailed with twenty hues. Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Her.) To indent with small curves. See Engrailed. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Her.) Indented with small concave curves, as the edge of a bordure, bend, or the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The ring of dots round the edge of a medal, etc. Brande & C. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Her.) Indentation in curved lines, as of a line of division or the edge of an ordinary. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Pref. en- + OF. treiller to grate, lattice, F. treille vine, arbor. See Trellis. ] To interweave; to intertwine. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Entanglement; fold. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl. [ F. entrailles, LL. intralia, intranea, fr. interaneum, pl. interanea, intestine, interaneus inward, interior, fr. inter between, among, within. See Internal. ] 1. The internal parts of animal bodies; the bowels; the guts; viscera; intestines. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The internal parts; as, the entrails of the earth. [ 1913 Webster ]

That treasure . . . hid the dark entrails of America. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. fraiel, fraile, OF. fraiel, freel, frael, fr. LL. fraellum. ] A basket made of rushes, used chiefly for containing figs and raisins. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The quantity of raisins -- about thirty-two, fifty-six, or seventy-five pounds, -- contained in a frail. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A rush for weaving baskets. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Compar. frailer superl. frailest. ] [ OE. frele, freile, OF. fraile, frele, F. frêle, fr. L. fragilis. See Fragile. ] 1. Easily broken; fragile; not firm or durable; liable to fail and perish; easily destroyed; not tenacious of life; weak; infirm. [ 1913 Webster ]

That I may know how frail I am. Ps. xxxix. 4. [ 1913 Webster ]

An old bent man, worn and frail. Lowell. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Tender. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Deep indignation and compassion frail. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Liable to fall from virtue or be led into sin; not strong against temptation; weak in resolution; also, unchaste; -- often applied to fallen women. [ 1913 Webster ]

Man is frail, and prone to evil. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Weakly; infirmly. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Frailty. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. frailties [ OE. frelete, freilte, OF. fraileté, fr. L. fragilitas. See Frail, a., and cf. Fragility. ] 1. The condition or quality of being frail, physically, mentally, or morally; frailness; infirmity; weakness of resolution; liableness to be deceived or seduced. [ 1913 Webster ]

God knows our frailty, [ and ] pities our weakness. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A fault proceeding from weakness; foible; sin of infirmity.

Syn. -- Frailness; fragility; imperfection; failing. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. greel, LL. gradale. See Gradual, n. ] A book of offices in the Roman Catholic Church; a gradual. [ Obs. ] T. Warton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Such as antiphonals, missals, grails, processionals, etc. Strype. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. graal, greal, greet, F. graal, gréal, LL. gradalis, gradale, prob. derived fr. L. crater bowl, mixing vessel, Gr. krath`r. See Crater. ] A broad, open dish; a chalice; -- only used of the Holy Grail. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞The Holy Grail, according to some legends of the Middle Ages, was the cup used by our Savior in dispensing the wine at the last supper; and according to others, the platter on which the paschal lamb was served at the last Passover observed by our Lord. This cup, according to the legend, if appoached by any but a perfectly pure and holy person, would be borne away and vanish from the sight. The quest of the Holy Grail was to be undertaken only by a knight who was perfectly chaste in thought, word, and act. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. grêle hail, from grés grit, OHG. griex, grioz, G. gries, gravel, grit. See Grit. ] Small particles of earth; gravel. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Lying down upon the sandy grail. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. graite slender, F. grête. ] One of the small feathers of a hawk. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. grêle a sort of file. ] A halfround single-cut file or fioat, having one curved face and one straight face, -- used by comb makers. Knight. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ or }. (Finance) Certain railroads whose traffic largely consists in carrying the produce of farmers or grangers; -- specifically applied to the Chicago & Alton; Chicago, Burlington & Quincey; Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific; Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul; and Chicago & Northwestern, railroads. [ U. S., obsolescent ]. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. a railing placed alongside a stairway or road for safety.
Syn. -- safety rail. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. a rail{ 1 } at the side of staircase or balcony to prevent people from falling; -- shaped so as to be conveniently gripped with the hand; as, please hold onto the handrail when crossing the walkway.
Syn. -- bannister, banister, balustrade, balusters. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. a trail for horses. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Inrailed p. pr. & vb. n. Inrailing. ] To rail in; to inclose or surround, as with rails. Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F. See Mitrailleur. ] Shot or bits of iron used sometimes in loading cannon. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F. ] 1. (Mil.) One who serves a mitrailleuse. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A mitralleuse. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

‖n. [ F., fr. mitrailler to fire grapeshot, fr. mitraille old iron, grapeshot, dim. of OF. mite a mite. ] (Mil.) A breech-loading machine gun consisting of a number of barrels fitted together, so arranged that the barrels can be fired simultaneously, or successively, and rapidly. [ obsolescent ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Apparel. [ Obs. ] “In the parail of a pilgrim.” Piers Plowman. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Pedi-; Rail. ] (Mach.) (a) A device intended to replace the wheel of a self-propelled vehicle for use on rough roads and to approximate to the smoothness in running of a wheel on a metal track. The tread consists of a number of rubber shod feet which are connected by ball-and-socket joints to the ends of sliding spokes. Each spoke has attached to it a small roller which in its turn runs under a short pivoted rail controlled by a powerful set of springs. This arrangement permits the feet to accomodate themselves to obstacles even such as steps or stairs. The pedrail was invented by one B. J. Diplock of London, Eng. (b) A vehicle, as a traction engine, having such pedrails. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. Penetralia. [ Obs. ] Harvey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. pouraille. See Poor. ] Poor people; the poor. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. reil, re&yogh_;el, AS. hrægel, hrægl, a garment; akin to OHG. hregil, OFries. hreil. ] An outer cloak or covering; a neckerchief for women. Fairholt. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ Etymol. uncertain. ] To flow forth; to roll out; to course. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Streams of tears from her fair eyes forth railing. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Akin to LG. & Sw. regel bar, bolt, G. riegel a rail, bar, or bolt, OHG. rigil, rigel, bar, bolt, and possibly to E. row a line. ] 1. A bar of timber or metal, usually horizontal or nearly so, extending from one post or support to another, as in fences, balustrades, staircases, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Arch.) A horizontal piece in a frame or paneling. See Illust. of Style. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Railroad) A bar of steel or iron, forming part of the track on which the wheels roll. It is usually shaped with reference to vertical strength, and is held in place by chairs, splices, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Naut.) (a) The stout, narrow plank that forms the top of the bulwarks. (b) The light, fencelike structures of wood or metal at the break of the deck, and elsewhere where such protection is needed. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A railroad as a means of transportation; as, to go by rail; a place not accesible by rail. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

6. a railing. [ PJC ]

Rail fence. See under Fence. --
Rail guard. (a) A device attached to the front of a locomotive on each side for clearing the rail of obstructions. (b) A guard rail. See under Guard. --
Rail joint (Railroad), a splice connecting the adjacent ends of rails, in distinction from a chair, which is merely a seat. The two devices are sometimes united. Among several hundred varieties, the fish joint is standard. See Fish joint, under Fish. --
Rail train (Iron & Steel Manuf.), a train of rolls in a rolling mill, for making rails for railroads from blooms or billets. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Railed p. pr. & vb. n. Railing. ] 1. To inclose with rails or a railing. [ 1913 Webster ]

It ought to be fenced in and railed. Ayliffe. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To range in a line. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

They were brought to London all railed in ropes, like a team of horses in a cart. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. râle, fr. râler to have a rattling in the throat; of German origin, and akin to E. rattle. See Rattle, v. ] (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of limicoline birds of the family Rallidae, especially those of the genus Rallus, and of closely allied genera. They are prized as game birds. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The common European water rail (Rallus aquaticus) is called also bilcock, skitty coot, and brook runner. The best known American species are the clapper rail, or salt-marsh hen (Rallus longirostris, var. crepitans); the king, or red-breasted, rail (Rallus elegans) (called also fresh-water marshhen); the lesser clapper, or Virginia, rail (Rallus Virginianus); and the Carolina, or sora, rail (Porzana Carolina). See Sora. [ 1913 Webster ]

Land rail (Zool.), the corncrake. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ F. railler; cf. Sp. rallar to grate, scrape, molest; perhaps fr. (assumed) LL. radiculare, fr. L. radere to scrape, grate. Cf. Rally to banter, Rase. ] To use insolent and reproachful language; to utter reproaches; to scoff; -- followed by at or against, formerly by on. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

And rail at arts he did not understand. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Lesbia forever on me rails. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]