Cool MateRailroad
UK /["/ˈreɪlrəʊd/"]/US /["/ˈreɪlrəʊd/"]/
Definition
a track with rails on which trains run
In simple words: A track made for trains to travel on.
Examples
- railroad tracks
- This town got a lot bigger when the railroad came in the 1860s.
Usage notes
Use 'railroad' when talking about trains or train tracks. It’s appropriate in both written and spoken English. Avoid using in overly casual contexts like slang discussions.
Grammar pattern
standalone noun
Memory hint
Think of 'rail' as the tracks and 'road' as the path for trains to travel.
Collocations
- railroad crossing
- railroad car
- railroad ties
- freight railroad
- passenger railroad
Synonyms
- train track
- railway
- line
- track
- route
Antonyms
- highway
- road
- airway
- waterway
Common mistakes
- Confused with 'railrod' — incorrect spelling.
- Omitting 'the' when referring to the railroad system.
- Using 'railroad' incorrectly as a verb in a non-idiomatic context.