mini-shinkansen

noun

A conventional Japanese rail line which has been upgraded to allow use by shinkansen; generally to allow the continuation of shinkansen services beyond the end of a purpose-built, high-speed line.

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Meanings

nounmini-shinkansen (plural mini-shinkansen or mini-shinkansens)

plural mini-shinkansens

  1. rail transportA conventional Japanese rail line which has been upgraded to allow use by shinkansen; generally to allow the continuation of shinkansen services beyond the end of a purpose-built, high-speed line.

Origin

Borrowed from Japanese ミニ新幹線(しんかんせん) (mini shinkansen). By surface analysis, mini- + shinkansen.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

Source: mini-shinkansen on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.