Definition of "railroad"

railroad

/ˈɹeɪlɹoʊd/

noun
plural railroads
1. (chiefly US) A permanent track consisting of fixed metal rails to drive trains or similar motorized vehicles on.
2. (chiefly US) The transportation system comprising such tracks and vehicles fitted to travel on the rails, usually with several vehicles connected together in a train.
3. (chiefly US) A single, privately or publicly owned property comprising one or more such tracks and usually associated assets
4. (figuratively) A procedure conducted in haste without due consideration.
verb
third-person singular simple present railroads, present participle railroading, simple past and past participle railroaded
1. (transitive) To transport via railroad.
2. (intransitive) To operate a railroad.
3. (intransitive) To work for a railroad.
4. (intransitive) To travel by railroad.
5. (intransitive) To engage in a hobby pertaining to railroads.
6. (transitive) To manipulate and hasten a procedure, as of formal approval of a law or resolution.
  Quotations
  Sebastian Riedel lodged a complaint with TPF board, which he says was railroaded by a board member—therefore, Riedel quit.
  2021 August 14, Jim Salter, quoting Sebastian Riedel, “The Perl Foundation is fragmenting over Code of Conduct enforcement”, in Ars Technica‎
  What appears suspect about the Beeching Report is how quickly it was railroaded through, with the answers manufactured before the questions were asked.
  2023 March 8, Howard Johnston, “Was Marples the real railway wrecker?”, in RAIL, number 978, page 52
7. (transitive) To convict of a crime by circumventing due process.
  Quotations
  "I'm going to the Hague to see Mr Milosevic at his request," he told CBC radio before leaving Canada. "All of us feel he's being railroaded and used as a scapegoat for Nato's attack on Yugoslavia.
  2001 July 7, Ian Black, quoting André Tremblay, “Defenders emerge for Milosevic”, in The Guardian‎
  Stark reminder of how an innocent man can be railroaded into spending years in jail [title]
  2006 November 11, Duncan Campbell, “Stark reminder of how an innocent man can be railroaded into spending years in jail”, in The Guardian‎
8. (transitive) To procedurally bully someone into an unfair agreement.
  Quotations
  Also on Friday, The Daily News published a column by Richard Azzopardi, a senior adviser to the governor, who wrote that Mr. Cuomo had been “railroaded” by Ms. James, a Democrat who is considered a possible candidate for governor next year but who has not said she plans to run.
  2021 August 20, Luis Ferré-Sadurní, quoting Richard Azzopardi, “Cuomo Continues to Challenge His Accusers as Moving Trucks Are Loaded”, in The New York Times‎
9. (roleplaying games) To force characters to complete a task before allowing the plot to continue.
10. (upholstery) To run fabric horizontally instead of the usual vertically.
  Quotations
  If you are upholstering a larger item, such as a sofa, it's a good idea to see if the fabric you are buying can be railroaded. Railroading refers to being able to run the fabric from left to right, rather than the conventional top to bottom. […] [W]hen a pattern is railroaded you can turn it on its side and roll it out to the width of the sofa without join lines.
  2015, Vicky Grubb, The Beginner's Guide to Upholstery, David & Charles

Definition of "railroad"

railroad

noun

verb

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Quotations

Quotations

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