railway

English

Etymology

rail +‎ way.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɹeɪlˌweɪ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪlweɪ

Noun

railway (plural railways)

1. (chiefly UK, Ireland and Commonwealth) A transport system using rails used to move passengers or goods.
   • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter II, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

     That the young Mr. Churchills liked—but they did not like him coming round of an evening and drinking weak whisky-and-water while he held forth on railway debentures and corporation loans. Mr. Barrett, however, by fawning and flattery, seemed to be able to make not only Mrs. Churchill but everyone else do what he desired.

2. (chiefly UK, Ireland and Commonwealth) A track, consisting of parallel rails, over which wheeled vehicles such as trains may travel.
   • 2012, Andrew Martin, Underground Overground: A passenger's history of the Tube, Profile Books, →ISBN, pages 14–15:

     His interest in railways is not the quality that marks Pearson out. Everyone was interested in railways. Over a thousand miles of them opened between 1837 and 1845, most of what would become the national network. [...] You needed an Act of Parliament to build a railway; but that wasn't very hard to obtain if you could give the appearance of adequately funded competence.

Synonyms

• (track): railroad track, railway track, railway line, rails
• (system): (US) railroad, rail
• rwy, RY, Ry., ry (abbreviations)

Derived terms

• aerial railway
• atmospheric railway
• cash railway
• cliff railway
• cog railway
• elevated railway
• funicular railway
• heritage railway
• light railway
• mineral railway
• model railway
• rack railway
• railwayac
• railwayana
• railway bridge
• railway carriage
• railway company
• railway gun
• railwayist
• railway key
• railwayless
• railway line
• railwayman
• railway sleeper
• railway spine
• railway stamp
• railway station
• railway tie
• railway time
• railway track
• railway train
• railway vehicle
• railway wrapper
• rope railway
• ship railway
• street railway
• Trans-Siberian Railway
• underground railway

 

Related terms

• railbuff
• railfan

 

Translations

track, consisting of parallel rails

• Abkhaz: аиҳаамҩа (ajḥaamjʷa)
• Afrikaans: spoorweg (af)
• Arabic: سِكَّة حَدِيدِيَّة f (sikka ḥadīdiyya), سِكَّة الْحَدِيد f (sikkat al-ḥadīd)
• Armenian: երկաթուղի (hy) (erkatʻuġi)
• Azerbaijani: dəmiryol
• Belarusian: каляя́ f (kaljajá), чыгу́начны пуць m (čyhúnačny pucʹ)
• Bulgarian: железопъ́тна ли́ния f (železopǎ́tna línija), ре́лсов път m (rélsov pǎt)
• Chechen: эчиг некъ (ečig neqʼ)
• Cherokee: ᏔᎷᎩᏍᎩ ᏅᏃᎯ (talugisgi nvnohi)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 鐵路／铁路 (tit³ lou⁶), 火車路／火车路 (fo² ce¹ lou⁶)

  Hakka: 鐵路／铁路 (thiet-lu), 火車路／火车路 (fó-chhâ-lu)

  Hokkien: 鐵枝路／铁枝路 (zh-min-nan) (thih-ki-lō͘)

  Mandarin: 鐵路／铁路 (zh) (tiělù), 鐵道／铁道 (zh) (tiědào), 火車道／火车道 (zh) (huǒchēdào)

  Northern Min: 火車墿／火车𰉣 (hǒ-chiá-diō̤), 鐵墿／铁𰉣 (tiĕ-diō̤)

  Wu: 鐵路／铁路 (⁷thiq-lu)

• Czech: kolej (cs) f, železnice (cs) f, trať (cs) f
• Danish: jernbane (da) c
• Dutch: spoorweg (nl) m, ijzerenweg m, ijzerbaan f
• Esperanto: fervojo (eo)
• Estonian: raudtee (et)
• Farefare: zirgabãŋa
• Finnish: rata (fi), junarata (fi), rautatie (fi)
• French: chemin de fer (fr) m, réseau ferroviaire m, voie ferrée (fr) f
• Galician: vía férrea f, camiño de ferro m
• Georgian: ლიანდაგი (liandagi)
• German: Eisenbahnlinie (de) f, Gleis (de) n
• Greek: σιδηρόδρομος (el) m (sidiródromos)
• Hawaiian: alahao
• Hebrew: מסילת ברזל \ מְסִלַּת בַּרְזֶל (he) f (m'silát barzél)
• Hungarian: sín (hu), vasút (hu), vasútvonal (hu)
• Icelandic: járnbraut (is) f, lestarspor n, járnbani m, járngata
• Indonesian: rel (id)
• Ingrian: rautatee
• Interlingua: ferrovia
• Irish: bóthar iarainn m, iarnród m
• Italian: binario (it) m, rotaia (it) f, strada ferrata f, ferrovia (it) f
• Japanese: 線路 (ja) (せんろ, senro)
• Korean: 철도(鐵道) (ko) (cheoldo), 선로(線路) (ko) (seollo)
• Latvian: dzelzceļš m
• Macedonian: пру́га f (prúga), желе́зница f (želéznica)
• Malay: jalur kereta api
• Maori: rerewē, ara rerewē
• Maranao: rilis
• Mari:

  Eastern Mari: кӱртньыгорно (kürtńygorno)

• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: төмөр зам (mn) (tömör zam)

• Navajo: béésh bitiin, kǫʼ naʼałbąąsii bitiin
• Norman: c'mîn d'fé m
• North Frisian: Iirsenbaan
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: jernbane (no) m

  Nynorsk: jernbane m or f, jarnbane m or f

• Ojibwe: ^{(please verify)} ishkodewidaabaanikana
• Ottoman Turkish: دمیر یولی (demir yolu), شمندوفر (şimendifer)
• Plautdietsch: Bon f, Iesabon f
• Polish: kolej (pl) f, linia kolejowa (pl) f
• Portuguese: ferrovia (pt) f, via-férrea f, caminhos-de-ferro, estrada-de-ferro f
• Romanian: cale ferată (ro) f, rețea feroviară f
• Russian: желе́зная доро́га (ru) f (želéznaja doróga), колея́ (ru) f (kolejá), железнодоро́жный путь m (železnodoróžnyj putʹ)
• Scottish Gaelic: rathad-iarainn m
• Serbo-Croatian: pruga (sh)

  Cyrillic: жѐлезница f, жѐљезница f

  Roman: žèleznica f, žèljeznica (sh) f

• Slovak: železnica f
• Spanish: vía férrea f, ferrocarril (es) m, (Latin America) riel (es) m, (Spain) vía (es) f
• Sranan Tongo: lokopasi
• Swedish: järnväg (sv) c, järnvägsspår (sv) n, räls (sv) c
• Tagalog: perokaril, daangbakal
• Tibetan: ལྕགས་ལམ (lcags lam)
• Turkish: demir yolu (tr), şimendifer (tr)
• Ukrainian: ко́лія f (kólija), залізни́чна ко́лія f (zaliznýčna kólija)
• Vietnamese: đường sắt (vi)
• Vilamovian: ban
• Welsh: rheilffordd
• West Frisian: spoarwei c
• Yoruba: ọ̀nà ojú irin, rélùwéè

transport system using these rails

• Abkhaz: аиҳаамҩа (ajḥaamjʷa)
• Albanian: hekurudhë (sq) f
• Arabic: سِكَّة حَدِيدِيَّة f (sikka ḥadīdiyya), سِكَّة حَدِيد f (sikkat ḥadīd)

  Egyptian Arabic: سكة حديد f (sikkat ḥadīd)

• Armenian: երկաթուղի (hy) (erkatʻuġi)
• Azerbaijani: dəmir yolu
• Basque: burdinbide
• Belarusian: жале́зная даро́га f (žaljéznaja daróha), чыгу́нка f (čyhúnka)
• Bengali: রেলপথ (bn) (relpoth)
• Bulgarian: желе́зница (bg) f (želéznica)
• Burmese: သံလမ်း (my) (samlam:), မီးရထား (my) (mi:ra.hta:)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 鐵路／铁路 (tit³ lou⁶), 火車路／火车路 (fo² ce¹ lou⁶)

  Eastern Min: 鐵路／铁路 (tiék-diô / tiék-lô), 鐵墿／铁𰉣 (tiék-diô)

  Gan: 鐵路／铁路 (tiet⁶ lu⁵)

  Hakka: 鐵路／铁路 (thiet-lu), 火車路／火车路 (fó-chhâ-lu)

  Hokkien: 鐵枝路／铁枝路 (zh-min-nan) (thih-ki-lō͘), 鐵道／铁道 (zh-min-nan) (thih-tō)

  Jin: 鐵路／铁路 (tieh⁴ lou³), 鐵道／铁道 (tieh⁴ dau³)

  Mandarin: 鐵路／铁路 (zh) (tiělù), 鐵道／铁道 (zh) (tiědào), 火車道／火车道 (zh) (huǒchēdào)

  Northern Min: 火車墿／火车𰉣 (hǒ-chiá-diō̤), 鐵墿／铁𰉣 (tiĕ-diō̤)

  Wu: 鐵路／铁路 (⁷thiq-lu)

• Crimean Tatar: demiryol
• Czech: železnice (cs) f
• Danish: jernbane (da) c
• Dutch: spoorwegen (nl) pl
• Esperanto: fervojo (eo)
• Estonian: raudtee (et)
• Farefare: zirgabãŋa
• Finnish: rautatie (fi), rautatiet (fi) pl
• French: chemin de fer (fr) m
• Galician: ferrocarril m
• Georgian: რკინიგზა (rḳinigza)
• German: Eisenbahn (de) f, Bahn (de) f
• Greek: σιδηρόδρομος (el) m (sidiródromos)
• Hawaiian: alahao
• Hebrew: מסילת ברזל \ מְסִלַּת בַּרְזֶל (he) f (m'silát barzél), מסילת רכבת f (m'silát rakévet)
• Hindi: रेलवे (hi) m or f (relve)
• Hungarian: vasút (hu)
• Icelandic: járnbraut (is) f
• Indonesian: jalur kereta api
• Ingrian: rautatee
• Irish: iarnród m
• Italian: ferrovia (it) f
• Japanese: 鉄道 (ja) (てつどう, tetsudō)
• Javanese: sepur (jv)
• Kazakh: темір жол (temır jol)
• Khmer: ផ្លូវដែក (phləw daek), អយបថ (ʼaʼyĕəʼbɑt), អយស្ម័យយាន (ʼaʼyaʼsmay yiən)
• Korean: 철도(鐵道) (ko) (cheoldo)
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: rêasin (ku)

• Kyrgyz: темир жол (temir jol)
• Lao: ທາງລົດໄຟ (thāng lot fai), ລົດໄຟ (lo) (lot fai)
• Latin: ferrivia f
• Latvian: dzelzceļš m
• Lithuanian: geležinkelis m
• Luxembourgish: Eisebunn f
• Macedonian: желе́зница f (želéznica)
• Malay: jalur kereta api
• Maori: rerewē
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: төмөр зам (mn) (tömör zam)

  Mongolian: ᠲᠡᠮᠦᠷ
  ᠵᠠᠮ (temür ǰam)

• Navajo: béésh ńtʼiʼ, béésh bitiin
• Norman: c'mîn d'fé m
• Northern Sami: ruovdemáđii, ruovdegeaidnu, ruovdeluodda
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: jernbane (no) m

  Nynorsk: jarnbane m or f, jernbane m or f

• Ojibwe: ^{(please verify)} ishkodewidaabaan, ^{(please verify)} mashkodewidaabaan
• Ossetian: ӕфсӕнвӕндаг (æfsænvændag)
• Pashto: اوسپنليکه f (ospənlika), خط آهن m (xte āhan)
• Persian:

  Dari: رَاه‌آهَن (fa) (rāh-āhan), رِیل (fa) (rīl)

  Iranian Persian: راه‌آهَن (fa) (râh-âhan)

• Polish: kolej (pl) f, kolej żelazna f
• Portuguese: ferrovia (pt)
• Romanian: căi ferate f pl
• Russian: желе́зная доро́га (ru) f (želéznaja doróga)
• Scottish Gaelic: rèile f
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: жѐлезница f, жѐљезница f

  Roman: žèleznica f, žèljeznica (sh) f

• Slovak: železnica f, železničná trať f
• Slovene: železniško n
• Sorbian:

  Lower Sorbian: zeleznica f

• Southern Altai: темир јол (temir ǰol)
• Spanish: ferrocarril (es) m
• Sranan Tongo: lokopasi
• Swedish: järnväg (sv) c
• Tagalog: daangbakal
• Tajik: роҳи оҳан (rohi ohan), роҳ оҳан (roh ohan)
• Tatar: тимер юл (timer yul)
• Telugu: రైల్వే (railvē)
• Thai: การรถไฟ (gaan-rót-fai), รถไฟ (th) (rót-fai)
• Tibetan: ལྕགས་ལམ (lcags lam)
• Turkish: demir yolu (tr), şimendifer (tr)
• Turkmen: demir ýoly
• Ukrainian: залізни́ця f (zaliznýcja)
• Urdu: ریلْوے m or f (relve), راہ آہَن f (rāh āhan)
• Uyghur: تۆمۈر يول (tömür yol)
• Uzbek: temir yoʻl (uz)
• Vietnamese: đường sắt (vi), đường ray (vi)
• Welsh: rheilffordd
• West Frisian: spoarwei c
• Yakut: тимир суол (timir suol)
• Yiddish: אײַזנבאַן f (ayznban)
• Yoruba: rélùwéè

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Esperanto: ^{(please verify)} fervojo (eo)
• Indonesian: ^{(please verify)} kereta api
• Interlingua: ^{(please verify)} ferrovia
• Veps: ^{(please verify)} raudte
• Volapük: ^{(please verify)} ferodarutaveg (vo)
• Welsh: ^{(please verify)} rheilffordd f

See also

• monorail
• permanent way
• right of way
• streetcar
• subway
• trackway
• train
• tramway

 

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʁɛ.lwɛ/, /ʁe.lwɛ/

Noun

railway m (plural railways)

1. (Anglicism) railway

   Synonym: chemin de fer

Further reading

• “railway”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.