riding on a rail

A form of ride on a rail — To be subjected to a punishment most prevalent in the United States in the 18th and 19th centuries in which an offender was made to straddle a fence rail held on the shoulders of two or more bearers. The victim was then paraded around town or taken to the city limits and dumped by the roadside.

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Meanings

verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of ride on a rail
Cite this entry
APA

riding on a rail. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/riding%20on%20a%20rail

MLA

“riding on a rail.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/riding%20on%20a%20rail. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “riding on a rail,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/riding%20on%20a%20rail.

Source: riding on a rail on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.