backshunt

B3A1C3K5S1H4U1N1T1

noun

A section of railway track which gives access to a siding (or another section of railway line) only by reversing direction; also a train movement which uses such track.

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Meanings

nounbackshunt (plural backshunts)

plural backshunts

  1. UKrail transportA section of railway track which gives access to a siding (or another section of railway line) only by reversing direction; also a train movement which uses such track.

    Another peculiarity of this branch is that, like the Chard line, it has no direct connection with the main line, a backshunt into a siding being necessary before this can be reached.

    1939 December, John D. Hewitt, “Some Notable British Main Lines: II. Salisbury and Exeter, S.R.”, in Railway Magazine, page 412

Origin

From back + shunt.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

backshunt. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/backshunt

MLA

“backshunt.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/backshunt. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “backshunt,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/backshunt.

Source: backshunt on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.