rail

/ˈrāl/

Middle English raile, from Anglo-French raille, reille bar, rule, from Latin regula straightedge, rule

noun

  1. a bar extending from one post or support to another and serving as a guard or barrier

  2. a structural member or support

  3. railing

verb

  1. to provide with a railing : fence

noun

  1. any of numerous wading birds (family Rallidae, the rail family) that are of small or medium size and have short rounded wings, a short tail, and usually very long toes which enable them to run on the soft mud of marshes