Phrase guide

rail spike

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • rhymes with -aɪk

1

noun

Meaning 1

A type of large nail with an offset head used to fasten a rail or base plate to a wooden railroad tie/sleeper.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: rail-transport, railways, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Japanese: 犬釘 (inukugi) — a large nail used to fasten a rail base plate to a tie/sleeper
  • Russian: косты́ль (kostýlʹ) — a large nail used to fasten a rail base plate to a tie/sleeper
  • Spanish: clavo de ferrocarril — a large nail used to fasten a rail base plate to a tie/sleeper