- [countable]
a wooden or metal bar placed around something as a barrier or to provide support 栏杆；扶手；围栏 Extra ExamplesShe climbed onto the top fence rail. 她爬上了围栏的顶部横杆。 She held tightly on to the rail. 她紧紧地抓着栏杆。 After the accident a guard rail was placed all the way along the cliff path. 事故发生后，沿着悬崖小路一路设置了护栏。 She came slowly down the stairs, holding the banister rail. 她扶着栏杆慢慢走下楼梯。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- guard
- safety
- curtain
- …
- grab
- grasp
- grip
- …
- on a/the rail
- over a/the rail
- [countable]
a bar fixed to the wall for hanging things on （固定在墙上用以挂物品的）横杆 
a picture/curtain/towel rail 挂图画／窗帘／毛巾用的横杆
Extra ExamplesThere was thick dust on the picture rail. 画栏上有厚厚的灰尘。 Lace curtains hung from the brass rails over the bed. 花边床帏从床上方的铜杆上垂下。 heated towel rails 加热毛巾杆
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- guard
- safety
- curtain
- …
- grab
- grasp
- grip
- …
- on a/the rail
- over a/the rail
- [countable, usually plural]
each of the two metal bars that form the track that trains run on 铁轨；轨道 
Extra ExamplesTopics Transport by bus and trainb2The train thundered along the rails. 火车沿铁轨呼啸而过。 The train came off the rails. 火车出轨了。 Trams run along rails. 有轨电车沿铁轨行驶。 Weeds grew between the rails. 野草在铁轨间生长。 A child was seen crossing the rails. 有人看见一个孩子正在越过铁轨。 The gun is mounted on rails. 枪架在铁轨上。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + rail- run along rails
- run on rails
- along (the) rails
- between the rails
- on (the) rails
- …
- come off the rails
- go off the rails
- ride the rails
- …
- [uncountable]
(often before another noun 常用于另一名词前 railways as a means of transport 铁路；铁道 - by rail
to travel by rail 乘火车 rail travel/services/fares 铁路旅行／服务／费用 a rail link/network 铁路连接；铁路网
Extra ExamplesTopics Transport by bus and trainb2He uses a combination of commuter rail and subway to get to work. 他乘通勤火车和地铁上班。 Many business people now opt for high-speed rail rather than flying. 许多商务人士现在选择乘坐高铁而不是飞机出行。 We went from London to Budapest by rail. 我们乘火车从伦敦去布达佩斯。 the Channel Tunnel rail link 英法海底隧道铁路交通 efforts to modernize the rail network 使铁路网现代化的种种努力
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- high-speed
- light
- commuter
- …
- fare
- ticket
- network
- …
- by rail
- by rail
Word Originnoun Middle English: from Old French reille ‘iron rod’, from Latin regula ‘straight stick, rule’.
Idioms
get back on the rails
- (informal)
to become successful again after a period of failure, or to begin functioning normally again 恢复常轨；东山再起 He has helped get the company back on the rails again. 他帮助公司重新走上正轨。
go off the rails (informal)
to start behaving in a way that is strange or unacceptable, for example drinking a lot or taking drugs 举止怪异；行为出轨 She went completely off the rails after her sister died. 她姐姐去世后，她完全疯了。 She was worried her son was going to go completely off the rails. 她担心儿子会做出完全越轨之事。
to lose control and stop functioning correctly 失去控制；无法正常运行
jump the rails
(of a train 火车 to leave the track suddenly 出轨；脱轨