Rail fence

Rail fence
Rail Rail, n. [Akin to LG. & Sw. regel bar, bolt, G. riegel a rail, bar, or bolt, OHG. rigil, rigel, bar, bolt, and possibly to E. row a line.] 1. A bar of timber or metal, usually horizontal or nearly so, extending from one post or support to another, as in fences, balustrades, staircases, etc. [1913 Webster]

2. (Arch.) A horizontal piece in a frame or paneling. See Illust. of {Style}. [1913 Webster]

3. (Railroad) A bar of steel or iron, forming part of the track on which the wheels roll. It is usually shaped with reference to vertical strength, and is held in place by chairs, splices, etc. [1913 Webster]

4. (Naut.) (a) The stout, narrow plank that forms the top of the bulwarks. (b) The light, fencelike structures of wood or metal at the break of the deck, and elsewhere where such protection is needed. [1913 Webster]

5. A railroad as a means of transportation; as, to go by rail; a place not accesible by rail. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

6. a railing. [PJC]

{Rail fence}. See under {Fence}.

{Rail guard}. (a) A device attached to the front of a locomotive on each side for clearing the rail of obstructions. (b) A guard rail. See under {Guard}.

{Rail joint} (Railroad), a splice connecting the adjacent ends of rails, in distinction from a chair, which is merely a seat. The two devices are sometimes united. Among several hundred varieties, the fish joint is standard. See {Fish joint}, under {Fish}.

{Rail train} (Iron & Steel Manuf.), a train of rolls in a rolling mill, for making rails for railroads from blooms or billets. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Rail fence — Fence Fence (f[e^]ns), n. [Abbrev. from defence.] 1. That which fends off attack or danger; a defense; a protection; a cover; security; shield. [1913 Webster] Let us be backed with God and with the seas, Which he hath given for fence impregnable …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • rail-fence — railˈ fence noun (US) A fence of wooden posts and rails • • • Main Entry: ↑rail …   Useful english dictionary

  • rail fence — noun a fence (usually made of split logs laid across each other at an angle) (Freq. 1) • Hypernyms: ↑fence, ↑fencing • Hyponyms: ↑worm fence, ↑snake fence, ↑snake rail fence, ↑Virginia fence …   Useful english dictionary

  • rail fence — A fence constructed of wooden rails, sometimes roughly hewed rails, alternating from section to section slightly in direction, thereby presenting a worm like feature. A Virginia worm rail fence projecting equally on the land of each adjoining… …   Ballentine's law dictionary

  • Rail Fence Cipher — The Rail Fence Cipher (also called a zigzag cipher) is a form of transposition cipher that derives its name from the way in which it is encoded.In the rail fence cipher, the plaintext is written downwards and diagonally on successive rails of an… …   Wikipedia

  • rail fence — a fence made of rails resting on crossed stakes or across one another at an angle. Also called Virginia fence. [1640 50, Amer.] * * * …   Universalium

  • Virginia rail fence — Fence Fence (f[e^]ns), n. [Abbrev. from defence.] 1. That which fends off attack or danger; a defense; a protection; a cover; security; shield. [1913 Webster] Let us be backed with God and with the seas, Which he hath given for fence impregnable …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Split-rail fence — A split rail fence and log fence is a type of fence constructed out of timber logs, usually split lengthwise into rails and typically used for agricultural or decorative fencing. Such fences require much more timber than other types of fences,… …   Wikipedia

  • Cifrado Rail Fence — El Cifrado Rail Fence es una forma de cifrado por permutación que ha tomado por la forma en que se codifican los textos con él. En el cifrado rail fence, el texto plano se escribe hacia abajo diagonalmente a través de sucesivos raíles de una… …   Wikipedia Español

  • snake-rail fence — noun rail fence consisting of a zigzag of interlocking rails (Freq. 1) • Syn: ↑worm fence, ↑snake fence, ↑Virginia fence • Hypernyms: ↑rail fence * * * n. another term for snake fence …   Useful english dictionary

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