by rail
by rail 表示交通方式，rail 前不加冠词，也不能说 by the rail。
We travelled to the coast by rail.
我们乘火车去了海边。
铁轨；钢轨；栏杆；横杆；秧鸡；电源轨；供电轨；梯柱；侧杆
A railway or railroad, especially as a means of transport.
横杆,用于支撑或作为屏障；栏杆。
A horizontal bar extending between supports and used for support or as a barrier; a railing.
秧鸡科的任何一种鸟。
Any of several birds in the family Rallidae.
由水平杆和支撑物组成的障碍物
a barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports
构成铁路轨道一部分的金属条。
The metal bar forming part of the track for a railroad.
铁路的简称
short for railway
铁路；作为交通工具的铁道。
A railroad; a railway, as a means of transportation.
由轧制钢制成的铁路轨道,用于火车或其他车辆行驶
a bar or pair of parallel bars of rolled steel making the railway along which railroad cars or other vehicles can roll
相对于地保持固定电位的导体,其他电路元件与其连接。
A conductor maintained at a fixed electrical potential relative to ground, to which other circuit components are connected.
用于分隔门或窗各部分的横木。
A horizontal piece of wood that serves to separate sections of a door or window.
冲浪板的纵向边缘之一。
One of the lengthwise edges of a surfboard.
一大条(粉末状非法毒品的份量或一服)。
A large line (portion or serving of a powdery illegal drug).
支撑梯子横档的两根垂直侧杆之一。
Each of two vertical side bars supporting the rungs of a ladder.
游戏板的凸起边缘。
The raised edge of the game board.
She leaned on the rail at the edge of the balcony and watched the sunset.
她倚在阳台边上的栏杆上，望着夕阳。
用法提示：rail 在此作名词，指阳台边缘起防护作用的横杆，即栏杆。
AI contextual example
Hold the rail while you walk down the stairs.
下楼梯时请扶着扶手。
用法提示：rail 作名词，指楼梯旁供人抓握支撑的横杆，即扶手。
AI contextual example
The towel rail in the bathroom came loose from the wall.
浴室里的毛巾杆从墙上松脱了。
用法提示：rail 作名词，指固定在墙上用来挂毛巾的横杆。
AI contextual example
by rail 表示交通方式，rail 前不加冠词，也不能说 by the rail。
We travelled to the coast by rail.
我们乘火车去了海边。
rail 作定语修饰名词时用单数形式，如 rail network、rail travel。
The city has a modern rail network.
这座城市有现代化的铁路网。
off the rails 指脱离铁轨，rail 用复数 rails；go off the rails 也可表示同样的意思。
The train came off the rails near the station.
火车在车站附近脱轨了。
grammar · medium
易错句子I went to Beijing by the rail.
正确表达I went to Beijing by rail.
表示交通方式时，“by rail”是固定搭配，by 后接的单数名词前不加冠词、也不用复数（跟 by train、by air、by sea 一样）。汉语“坐火车/走铁路”里没有冠词，学习者容易按普通可数名词给 rail 加上 the。
grammar · medium
易错句子We took the rail to Shanghai.
正确表达We took the train to Shanghai.
rail 指“铁路、铁道”这种交通方式或“铁轨、栏杆”，不能用来指具体的列车，英语也不说 take the rail。表示“坐火车去某地”要用 take the train（或 travel by rail）。
grammar · medium
易错句子The old station has many rail along the platform.
正确表达The old station has many rails along the platform.
rail 表示“横杆、栏杆”时是可数名词，前面有 many 就必须用复数 rails。汉语名词不因数量而变形，学习者常忘记加复数词尾 -s。
乘火车；通过铁路
We traveled to Paris by rail.
我们乘火车去了巴黎。
铁路运输
Rail transport is cheaper for heavy goods.
铁路运输对重型货物来说更便宜。
失控；偏离正轨
The project went off the rails after the funding was cut.
资金被削减后，这个项目就失控了。
火车票
You can buy a rail ticket online.
你可以在网上买火车票。
高铁
China has an extensive high-speed rail network.
中国拥有庞大的高铁网络。
发长 /eɪ/ 音 (如 rain, wait)
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Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.
铁路服务
The storm disrupted rail services across the region.
暴风雨扰乱了整个地区的铁路服务。