Phrase guide

Sherman necktie

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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  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈʃɜːmən ˈnɛktaɪ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈʃɝmən ˈnɛktaɪ/

1

noun

Meaning 1

A segment of rail that has been heated and twisted into a loop, as a means of destroying a railway.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US, historical, in-plural

Topics: rail-transport, railways, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Sherman's bow tie, Sherman's hairpin, Jeff Davis's necktie

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Sherman, the surname of Union Army general William Tecumseh Sherman (1820–1891) + necktie. During the American Civil War, Sherman ordered the destruction of the rails of railways in order to obstruct the Confederate States Army.

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • French: cravate de Sherman — segment of rail that has been heated and twisted into a loop
  • Italian: cravatta di Sherman — segment of rail that has been heated and twisted into a loop
  • Ukrainian: крава́тка Шермана (kravátka Šermana) — segment of rail that has been heated and twisted into a loop