rail spike

English

Old rail spikes

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -aɪk

Noun

rail spike (plural rail spikes)

1. (rail transport) A type of large nail with an offset head used to fasten a rail or base plate to a wooden railroad tie/sleeper.
   • 1887, Fourth Annual Report of the Board of Railroad Commissioners of the State of New York, page 147:

     The company use on the outside of both rails, on all sharp curves, a cast iron brace nearly the same height as the rail, and secured to tie with three rail spikes.

Synonyms

• railroad spike

Translations

a large nail used to fasten a rail base plate to a tie/sleeper

• Japanese: 犬釘 (いぬくぎ, inukugi)
• Russian: косты́ль (ru) m (kostýlʹ)