Standard Lemma guide

railcar

noun · 4 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: /ˈɹeɪlˌkɑɹ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: R EY1 L K AA2 R Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A self-propelled railway vehicle for passengers, similar to a bus.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: rail-transport, railways, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: railbus

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A powered single railway vehicle designed for passenger transport, with a driver's cab in both ends; Not to be confused with motor coach/motorcar, which is a powered railway vehicle capable to haul a train.

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

3

noun

Meaning 3

Any unpowered railway vehicle.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: only in Canada and US

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: railroad car

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a wheeled vehicle adapted to the rails of railroad

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • three cars had jumped the rails

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: car, railway car, railroad car

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: wheeled vehicle

Narrower terms: baggage car, luggage van, cabin car, caboose, club car, lounge car, freight car, guard's van, handcar, mail car, passenger car, coach, carriage, slip coach, slip carriage, tender, van

History

Etymology

From rail + car.

Across languages

Translations

39 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Danish: skinnebus — self-propelled railway vehicle similar to a bus
  • Dutch: railbus — self-propelled railway vehicle similar to a bus
  • Finnish: kiskobussi — self-propelled railway vehicle similar to a bus
  • French: autobus sur rails — self-propelled railway vehicle similar to a bus
  • German: Schienenbus — self-propelled railway vehicle similar to a bus
  • Italian: autobus su rotaia — self-propelled railway vehicle similar to a bus
  • Macedonian: ши́нобус (šínobus) — self-propelled railway vehicle similar to a bus
  • Norwegian: skinnebuss (bokmål) — self-propelled railway vehicle similar to a bus
  • Norwegian: skjenebuss (nynorsk) — self-propelled railway vehicle similar to a bus
  • Polish: szynobus — self-propelled railway vehicle similar to a bus
  • Polish: autobus szynowy — self-propelled railway vehicle similar to a bus
  • Spanish: ferrobús — self-propelled railway vehicle similar to a bus
  • Spanish: buscarril — self-propelled railway vehicle similar to a bus
  • Swedish: rälsbuss — self-propelled railway vehicle similar to a bus
  • Bulgarian: автодрези́на (avtodrezína) — powered single railway vehicle with driver's cab at both ends
  • Mandarin: 自動道車 /自动道车 — powered single railway vehicle with driver's cab at both ends
  • Mandarin: 自动道车 (zìdòng dàochē) — powered single railway vehicle with driver's cab at both ends
  • Danish: motorvogn — powered single railway vehicle with driver's cab at both ends
  • Dutch: motorrijtuig — powered single railway vehicle with driver's cab at both ends
  • Estonian: mootorvagun — powered single railway vehicle with driver's cab at both ends
  • Finnish: moottorijuna — powered single railway vehicle with driver's cab at both ends
  • Finnish: moottorivaunu — powered single railway vehicle with driver's cab at both ends
  • French: automotrice — powered single railway vehicle with driver's cab at both ends
  • German: Triebwagen — powered single railway vehicle with driver's cab at both ends
  • Icelandic: dráttarvagn — powered single railway vehicle with driver's cab at both ends
  • Italian: automotrice — powered single railway vehicle with driver's cab at both ends
  • Norwegian: motorvogn — powered single railway vehicle with driver's cab at both ends
  • Polish: drezyna spalinowa — powered single railway vehicle with driver's cab at both ends
  • Polish: wagon silnikowy — powered single railway vehicle with driver's cab at both ends
  • Portuguese: automotriz — powered single railway vehicle with driver's cab at both ends
  • Portuguese: automotora — powered single railway vehicle with driver's cab at both ends
  • Portuguese: litorina — powered single railway vehicle with driver's cab at both ends
  • Romanian: automotor — powered single railway vehicle with driver's cab at both ends
  • Russian: автодрези́на (avtodrezína) — powered single railway vehicle with driver's cab at both ends
  • Russian: автомотри́са (avtomotrísa) — powered single railway vehicle with driver's cab at both ends
  • Spanish: automotor — powered single railway vehicle with driver's cab at both ends
  • Spanish: coche motor — powered single railway vehicle with driver's cab at both ends
  • Swedish: motorvagn — powered single railway vehicle with driver's cab at both ends
  • Ukrainian: автодрези́на (avtodrezýna) — powered single railway vehicle with driver's cab at both ends