# railing

Pronunciation: say "RAY-ling" /ˈɹeɪlɪŋ/

## Noun

1. A fence or barrier made of one or more horizontal rails supported by vertical posts.
   - Simple: A barrier made of horizontal bars held up by upright posts.
   - _The balcony railing had rusted through in several places._
   - _Workers installed a new railing along the bridge walkway._

## Verb

2. Present participle of rail. — present participle and gerund of rail
   - Simple: Present participle of rail. Use this form for the action of complaining bitterly as it happens.
   - _The senator spent the morning railing against corruption in the press._
   - _Railing at fate accomplished nothing for the stranded crew._

## Adjective

3. Engaged in or given to violent, angry complaining.
   - Simple: Always complaining loudly and angrily.
   - _Her railing aunt found fault with every guest at the party._
   - _A railing reformer, he denounced his colleagues in every meeting._
4. Marked by abusive language and bitter, vehement complaining against someone or something.
   - Simple: Full of angry, insulting words and loud complaints.
   - _The editorial was a railing tirade against the new policy._
   - _Railing pamphlets circulated, each one packed with insults and grievances._
5. Blowing with great force and violence.
   - Simple: Blowing very hard and wildly, like a strong wind.
   - _A railing gale battered the lighthouse for three days._
   - _They huddled below deck as the railing wind howled overhead._

## Origin

Formed from "rail" combined with the suffix "-ing".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/railing (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).