noun / verb
railroad
A system of fixed tracks for train transport.
The railroad connects small farming towns with markets in the city.
Etymology
The compound names a road made of rails. The fixed parallel tracks define and support the route used by trains.
More examples
- Freight trains carry coal along the railroad.
- The storm damaged several miles of railroad.
- Two railroads serve the busy shipping port.
Forms
railroad · railroads
railroader noun — A person who works for a railroad.
Similar words
- track
- Refers to the rails themselves, not the entire transportation system.
- rail line
- A specific train route rather than the entire network.