- a permanent track composed of a line of parallel metal rails fixed to sleepers, for transport of passengers and goods in trains
- any track on which the wheels of a vehicle may run: a cable railway
- the entire equipment, rolling stock, buildings, property, and system of tracks used in such a transport system
- the organization responsible for operating a railway network
- (modifier) of, relating to, or used on a railway or railways: a railway engine, a railway strike
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
rail•way /ˈreɪlˌweɪ/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Rail Transporta railroad operating over short distances.
- British Terms, Rail Transportrailroad.
rail•way
(rāl′wā′),USA pronunciation n.
rail′wayed′, adj.
rail′way′less, adj.
- Rail Transporta rail line with lighter-weight equipment and roadbed than a main-line railroad.
- Rail Transporta railroad, esp. one operating over relatively short distances.
- Rail TransportAlso called trackway. any line or lines of rails forming a road of flanged-wheel equipment.
- British Terms, Rail Transport[Chiefly Brit.]railroad.
- rail1 + way1 1770–80
rail′way′less, adj.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
railway /ˈreɪlˌweɪ/, US railroad n