railroad

plural railroads

1. PhilippinesUSA permanent track consisting of fixed metal rails to drive trains or similar motorized vehicles on.

   Many railroads roughly follow the trace of older land or water roads.

2. USThe transportation system comprising such tracks and vehicles fitted to travel on the rails, usually with several vehicles connected together in a train.
3. USA single, privately or publicly owned property comprising one or more such tracks and usually associated assets

   Railroads can only compete fully if their tracks are technically compatible with and linked to each other.

4. figurativelyA procedure conducted in haste without due consideration.

   The lawyers made the procedure a railroad to get the signatures they needed.

   1 more example

   Gregory Scroggins, a PWA [person with AIDS] in Georgia who was found guilty of assault with intent to commit murder for biting a cop during arrest. It took only three days in October of 1989 to charge, try, convict and sentence Scroggins, who is now serving a 10-year sentence and has been denied bail (and medical treatment) pending appeal. […] Judy Siff of ACT/UP/Atlanta told GCN that Scroggins' case was a "railroad" of unbelievable proportions.

   1990 April 28, Jennie McKnight, “Is Saliva A Murder Weapon?”, in Gay Community News, page 6

present singular third person railroads · participle present railroading · participle past railroaded · past railroaded

1. transitiveTo transport via railroad.
2. intransitiveTo operate a railroad.

   The Thatcherite experiment proved the private sector can railroad as inefficiently as a state monopoly.

3. intransitiveTo work for a railroad.

   She used to railroad for the Southern Pacific.

4. intransitiveTo travel by railroad.
5. intransitiveTo engage in a hobby pertaining to railroads.
6. transitiveTo manipulate and hasten a procedure, as of formal approval of a law or resolution.

   The majority railroaded the bill through parliament, without the customary expert studies which would delay it till after the elections.

   2 more examples

   Sebastian Riedel lodged a complaint with TPF board, which he says was railroaded by a board member—therefore, Riedel quit.

   2021 August 14, Jim Salter, quoting Sebastian Riedel, “The Perl Foundation is fragmenting over Code of Conduct enforcement”, in Ars Technica

   What appears suspect about the Beeching Report is how quickly it was railroaded through, with the answers manufactured before the questions were asked.

   2023 March 8, Howard Johnston, “Was Marples the real railway wrecker?”, in RAIL, number 978, page 52

7. transitiveTo convict of a crime by circumventing due process.

   They could only convict him by railroading him on suspect drug-possession charges.

   3 more examples

   My witnesses were not questioned to my advantage. Physical evidence in my attorney's possession was not presented to the jury. A promised expert witness was not called nor even sought. I knew that I was being railroaded but I was helpless.

   1985 August 24, Robert Butler, “Sex More Punished Than Murder”, in Gay Community News, volume 13, number 7, page 5

   "I'm going to the^([sic]) Hague to see Mr Milosevic at his request," he told CBC radio before leaving Canada. "All of us feel he's being railroaded and used as a scapegoat for Nato's attack on Yugoslavia.

   2001 July 7, Ian Black, quoting André Tremblay, “Defenders emerge for Milosevic”, in The Guardian

   Stark reminder of how an innocent man can be railroaded into spending years in jail [title]

   2006 November 11, Duncan Campbell, “Stark reminder of how an innocent man can be railroaded into spending years in jail”, in The Guardian

8. transitiveTo procedurally bully someone into an unfair agreement.

   He was railroaded into signing a non-disclosure agreement at his exit interview.

   1 more example

   Also on Friday, The Daily News published a column by Richard Azzopardi, a senior adviser to the governor, who wrote that Mr. Cuomo had been “railroaded” by Ms. James, a Democrat who is considered a possible candidate for governor next year but who has not said she plans to run.

   2021 August 20, Luis Ferré-Sadurní, quoting Richard Azzopardi, “Cuomo Continues to Challenge His Accusers as Moving Trucks Are Loaded”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

9. roleplaying gamesTo force players to follow the dungeon master's planned plot rather than improvise an alternative story.
10. upholsteryTo run fabric horizontally instead of the usual vertically.

    1 more example

    If you are upholstering a larger item, such as a sofa, it's a good idea to see if the fabric you are buying can be railroaded. Railroading refers to being able to run the fabric from left to right, rather than the conventional top to bottom. […][W]hen a pattern is railroaded you can turn it on its side and roll it out to the width of the sofa without join lines.

    2015, Vicky Grubb, The Beginner's Guide to Upholstery, David & Charles

1. A borough in York County, Pennsylvania, United States, so-named for the Northern Central Railway.
2. A township in Starke County, Indiana, United States.