railroad

Everyday

1. In American English, a railway: the track made of steel rails that trains run on, or the whole train system. tree →
2. As a verb, to railroad someone means to force them to do something quickly without giving them time to think. tree →

In the lessons

In American history lessons pupils learn how the railroad connected the east and west of the USA. In everyday safety, children learn to stay off railroad tracks and stop at railroad crossings. Phrases: railroad crossing, railroad track, the Underground Railroad (the secret network that helped enslaved people escape).

Examples

• The railroad runs right past our town. tree →
• Stop, look and listen at the railroad crossing. tree →
• Never play on railroad tracks. tree →
• Building the first railroad across America took many years. tree →
• Harriet Tubman led people to freedom on the Underground Railroad. tree →
• Grandpa worked on the railroad for forty years. tree →
• They railroaded him into joining the club. tree →

Note

"Railroad" is American; British, Irish, Australian and New Zealand English usually say "railway". Countable: a railroad, railroads. The Underground Railroad was not a real train under the ground; it was a secret network of people and safe houses. Safety: trains cannot stop quickly, so never walk on tracks.