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Derail vs Drail - What's the difference?

derail | drail |

As nouns the difference between derail and drail

is that derail is a device placed on railway tracks causing a train to derail while drail is (angling) a hook with a lead shank.

As verbs the difference between derail and drail

is that derail is to cause to come off the tracks while drail is (angling|obsolete) to trail; to draggle.

derail

English

(wikipedia derail)

Noun

(en noun)
  • A device placed on railway tracks causing a train to derail.
  • The derail was placed deliberately so that the train would fall into the river.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To cause to come off the tracks.
  • The train was destroyed when it was derailed by the penny.
  • To come off the tracks.
  • To deviate from the previous course or direction.
  • The conversation derailed once James brought up politics.
  • To cause to deviate from a set course or direction.
  • The protesting students derailed the professor's lecture.

    Derived terms

    * derailment

    Anagrams

    * * * * * English ergative verbs

    drail

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (angling) A hook with a lead shank.
  • Verb

    (en verb)
  • (angling, obsolete) To trail; to draggle.
  • (Webster 1913)