rail spike

English

Old rail spikes

Pronunciation

Rhymes: -aɪk

Noun

rail spike (plural rail spikes)

(rail transport) A type of large nail with an offset head used to fasten a rail or base plate to a wooden railroad tie/sleeper.
- 1887, Fourth Annual Report of the Board of Railroad Commissioners of the State of New York, page 147:
  The company use on the outside of both rails, on all sharp curves, a cast iron brace nearly the same height as the rail, and secured to tie with three rail spikes.

Synonyms

railroad spike

Translations

a large nail used to fasten a rail base plate to a tie/sleeper

Japanese: 犬釘 (いぬくぎ, inukugi)
Russian: косты́ль (ru) m (kostýlʹ)

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