railroad
/ˈreɪlrəʊd/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈreɪlrəʊd/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈrāl-ˌrōd ˈrel-; ˈre-ˌrōd/ (ame, mw) · /ˈreɪl.rəʊd/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈreɪl.roʊd/ (ame, ipa)
railroad — noun
- railroadsingular
- railroadsplural
1. The pair of metal bars fixed to the ground that trains move along, together with
The pair of metal bars fixed to the ground that trains move along, together with the wooden or concrete blocks that hold them in place.
The workers repaired the railroad after the storm washed away the ground beneath the tracks.
A deer stood on the railroad, and the train stopped until it moved off.
collocation: on the railroad
Children are taught never to walk on or near the railroad tracks without an adult.
That old railroad has not been used since the mine shut down thirty years ago.
Engineers inspect every section of the railroad each morning before the first train departs.
文法句型
the + railroad
railroad + noun (attributive)
用法筆記
This sense often appears in the singular with 'the' ('the railroad') to refer to a specific stretch of track. The plural 'railroads' can refer to multiple separate track lines.
常見錯誤
2. The complete system that includes the tracks, stations, rolling stock, and the c
The complete system that includes the tracks, stations, rolling stock, and the company or public authority that operates them to move people and products.
Japan's railroad system is famous for its punctuality and high-speed trains.
proper noun + railroad system
Sayaka's grandfather worked for the railroad for forty years as a station supervisor.
verb + for the railroad
The government spent billions of dollars on improving the country's railroad network.
Railroad companies now use computers to manage schedules and track each train's location.
Shipping goods by railroad is often cheaper than using trucks over long distances.
- railway
British English; identical meaning
- rail network
focuses on the physical infrastructure
- train service
focuses on the passenger operations side
文法句型
the + railroad
work for + the + railroad
by + railroad
用法筆記
This is the most common sense in everyday American English. The British English equivalent is 'railway'. When preceded by 'the' ('the railroad'), it often refers to a specific company or the industry as a whole.
常見錯誤
railroad — verb
- railroadpresent simple I / you / we / they
- railroads3rd person singular
- railroading-ing form
- railroadedpast simple
1. To push a person or a decision through a process in a rushed, unfair way, withou
To push a person or a decision through a process in a rushed, unfair way, without allowing enough time for proper discussion or for the person to refuse.
The committee railroaded the decision through without letting anyone speak against it.
railroad + through [noun phrase]
Opposition senators claimed the new law was railroaded through parliament in just one day.
passive: be railroaded through
Hari felt he had been railroaded into signing the agreement without seeing the full terms.
The company tried to railroad workers into accepting lower pay and threatened to fire them.
- bulldoze
similar meaning, also informal; suggests even more force
- steamroller
very informal; implies crushing opposition
- push through
less negative; can be neutral or positive
- coerce
more formal; focuses on forcing someone's will
- consult
to seek opinions before deciding
- deliberate
to discuss carefully before acting
文法句型
railroad + noun + through + noun
railroad + noun + into + gerund/noun
be + railroaded
用法筆記
Nearly always negative in tone. 'Railroad' in this sense implies that the process was deliberately rushed to prevent fair consideration or to pressure someone. Frequently used in political and workplace contexts.
常見錯誤
❌ 'She railroaded him into going to the party.' (for mild persuasion) — Use this only when there is genuine unfair pressure, not simple encouragement.
railroad — adjective
- railroadpositive
- more railroadcomparative
- most railroadsuperlative
1. Describing an indoor space such as an apartment or kitchen that is much longer t
Describing an indoor space such as an apartment or kitchen that is much longer than it is wide, shaped like the inside of a train car.
Their apartment had a railroad layout, with each room leading straight into the next one.
noun phrase: railroad layout
They turned the warehouse into a narrow railroad-style office with desks in a single row.
compound: railroad-style
Railroad apartments were common in New York City working-class neighborhoods in the early 1900s.
The kitchen was a narrow railroad shape, so tight that only one cook could fit.
文法句型
railroad + noun (room, apartment, building)
用法筆記
Primarily used in North American English to describe apartments ('railroad apartment' or 'railroad flat') built in narrow tenement buildings, where rooms are connected in a straight line with no hallway. The term comes from the layout of a train carriage.