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Detour vs Derail - What's the difference?

detour | derail |

As nouns the difference between detour and derail

is that detour is detour while derail is a device placed on railway tracks causing a train to derail.

As a verb derail is

to cause to come off the tracks.

detour

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A diversion or deviation from one's original route.
  • * 1918 , (Edgar Rice Burroughs), Chapter IX
    • On the third day I made a detour westward to avoid the country of the Band-lu, as I did not care to be detained by a meeting with To-jo.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To make a detour.
  • To direct or send on a detour.

    • Anagrams

    *

    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.

    Quotations

    * (English Citations of "derail")

    Derived terms

    * derailment

    Anagrams

    * * * * * English ergative verbs