third rail

[ thurd-reyl ]

/ ˈθɜrd ˈreɪl /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR third rail ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

Railroads.

a rail laid parallel and adjacent to the running rails of an electrified railroad to provide electric current to the motors of a car or locomotive through contact shoes.
an additional running rail laid on the same ties as the two regular rails of a railroad track to provide a multigauge capability.

a controversial topic or issue in the public sphere that people, especially politicians, try to avoid discussing (often used attributively): a third-rail subject;Doping is the third rail of the Olympics.Social Security is the third rail of American politics.

Origin of third rail

An Americanism dating back to 1865–70

Words nearby third rail

third peroneal muscle, third person, third position, third quantum number, third quartile, third rail, third-rate, third reading, Third Reich, Third Republic, third sector

Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for third rail

And then there is the third-rail issue that is particularly electric in a state with so many retirees.
Florida Raises the Ante for 2012|Kirsten Powers|October 8, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Marriage equality is not remotely the third-rail issue it is sometimes considered.
Andrew Cuomo Renews Push for Gay Marriage in New York|John Avlon|June 12, 2011|DAILY BEAST
A great rate of speed can be gained with the third-rail system, ten miles having been made in thirteen and a half minutes.
The Great Round World and What Is Going On In It, Vol. 1, No. 32, June 17, 1897|Various
It was originally on the third-rail system, but was changed into an ordinary overhead trolley seven or eight years ago.
One Irish Summer|William Eleroy Curtis

He may perfect a third-rail system for use on moving trains.
The History of the Telephone|Herbert N. Casson
The third-rail system in its simplest form is shown in Fig. 29, which represents a section through the roadbed.
Appletons' Popular Science Monthly, Vol. 56, March 1900|Various
They had traveled by the third-rail line twenty miles into the country.
The Crystal Ball|Roy J. Snell

British Dictionary definitions for third rail

third rail

noun

an extra rail from which an electric train picks up current by means of a sliding collector to feed power to its motors

US politics

a cause or topic that is considered extremely dangerous for a person to support or comment on
(as modifier)a third-rail issue

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with third rail

third rail

Something that is dangerous to tamper with, as in Anything concerning veterans is a political third rail. This term alludes to the rail that supplies the high voltage powering an electric train, so called since 1918. On the other hand, grab hold of the third rail means “become energized.” Both shifts from the original meaning date from the late 1900s.

单词	third rail
释义	third rail [ thurd-reyl ] / ˈθɜrd ˈreɪl / SEE SYNONYMS FOR third rail ON THESAURUS.COM noun Railroads. a rail laid parallel and adjacent to the running rails of an electrified railroad to provide electric current to the motors of a car or locomotive through contact shoes. an additional running rail laid on the same ties as the two regular rails of a railroad track to provide a multigauge capability. a controversial topic or issue in the public sphere that people, especially politicians, try to avoid discussing (often used attributively): a third-rail subject;Doping is the third rail of the Olympics.Social Security is the third rail of American politics. Origin of third rail An Americanism dating back to 1865–70 Words nearby third rail third peroneal muscle, third person, third position, third quantum number, third quartile, third rail, third-rate, third reading, Third Reich, Third Republic, third sector Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020 Example sentences from the Web for third rail And then there is the third-rail issue that is particularly electric in a state with so many retirees. Florida Raises the Ante for 2012\|Kirsten Powers\|October 8, 2011\|DAILY BEAST Marriage equality is not remotely the third-rail issue it is sometimes considered. Andrew Cuomo Renews Push for Gay Marriage in New York\|John Avlon\|June 12, 2011\|DAILY BEAST A great rate of speed can be gained with the third-rail system, ten miles having been made in thirteen and a half minutes. The Great Round World and What Is Going On In It, Vol. 1, No. 32, June 17, 1897\|Various It was originally on the third-rail system, but was changed into an ordinary overhead trolley seven or eight years ago. One Irish Summer\|William Eleroy Curtis He may perfect a third-rail system for use on moving trains. The History of the Telephone\|Herbert N. Casson The third-rail system in its simplest form is shown in Fig. 29, which represents a section through the roadbed. Appletons' Popular Science Monthly, Vol. 56, March 1900\|Various They had traveled by the third-rail line twenty miles into the country. The Crystal Ball\|Roy J. Snell British Dictionary definitions for third rail third rail noun an extra rail from which an electric train picks up current by means of a sliding collector to feed power to its motors US politics a cause or topic that is considered extremely dangerous for a person to support or comment on (as modifier)a third-rail issue Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Idioms and Phrases with third rail third rail Something that is dangerous to tamper with, as in Anything concerning veterans is a political third rail. This term alludes to the rail that supplies the high voltage powering an electric train, so called since 1918. On the other hand, grab hold of the third rail means “become energized.” Both shifts from the original meaning date from the late 1900s. The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Words related to third rail pantograph
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third rail

noun

Origin of third rail

Words nearby third rail

Example sentences from the Web for third rail

British Dictionary definitions for third rail

noun

Idioms and Phrases with third rail

Words related to third rail