railing

noun

rail·​ing ˈrā-liŋ How to pronounce railing (audio)
1
: a barrier consisting of a rail and supports
2
: rails
also : material for making rails

Examples of railing in a Sentence

He leaned on the deck's railing and watched the sun set. they had to put a childproof railing on the balcony when the baby started walking
Recent Examples on the Web In the sweet shot, Milo, whom Tyler shares with her ex-husband Roy Langdon, held Lula while Sailor stood on a railing beside them. Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024 Then in April 2023, Born repeatedly stabbed an inmate with a homemade knife and tried to throw him over a railing, officials said. Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 26 Feb. 2024 There were also no stair railings at the front entrance and the small rail in the loft area was falling apart. Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 14 Feb. 2024 Luke estimates the railing that fell probably started rusting five to eight years ago. Julia Daye, Sacramento Bee, 2 Feb. 2024 The city spent $430,000 to repair railings and utilities, and officials were able to reopen the structure four months later. Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Jan. 2024 Above them is a picture of a sprawling, modern mansion, with a swimming pool, palm trees and a balcony with shiny railings — glamorous, if painful, motivation for a life beyond the grit and struggle of Davies Street. John Eligon Joao Silva, New York Times, 4 Dec. 2023 In areas where there is a railing or fence, do not climb over the barrier. The Arizona Republic, 25 Feb. 2024 Some dropped to the ground, trying to take cover behind railings or cardboard boxes. Hyojung Kim, Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'railing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of railing was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near railing

Cite this Entry

“Railing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/railing. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

railing

noun
rail·​ing ˈrā-liŋ How to pronounce railing (audio)
1
: a barrier (as a fence) consisting of rails and their supports
2
: material for rails

More from Merriam-Webster on railing

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