Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1400-1500
Language: French
Origin: railler 'to make fun of', from Late Latin ragere 'to make the sound of a horse'

rail

2 verb
     
rail2
1 [transitive] to enclose or separate an area with rails [↪ cordon off]
rail something off/in
The police railed off the area where the accident happened.
2 [intransitive and transitive] formal to complain angrily about something, especially something that you think is very unfair
rail against/at
Consumers rail against the way companies fix prices.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
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