Sidetrack vs Derail - What's the difference?
sidetrack | derail |
(rail transport) A second, relatively short length of track just to the side of a railroad track, joined to the main track by switches at one or both ends, used either for unloading freight, or to allow two trains on a same track to meet (opposite directions) or pass (same direction); a railroad siding.
(sometimes) Any auxiliary railroad track, as differentiated from a siding, that runs adjacent to the main track.
(mining) A smaller tunnel or well drilled as an auxiliary off a main tunnel or well.
An alternate train of thought, issue, topic, or activity, that is a deviation or distraction from the topic at hand or central activity, and secondary or subordinate in importance or effectiveness.
To divert (a locomotive) on to a lesser used track in order to allow other trains to pass.
To divert or distract (someone) from a main issue or course of action with an alternate or less relevant topic or activity; or, to use deliberate trickery or sly wordplay when talking to (a person) in order to avoid discussion of a subject.
To sideline; to push aside; to divert or distract from, reducing (something) to a secondary or subordinate position.
To deviate briefly from the topic at hand.
A device placed on railway tracks causing a train to derail.
To cause to come off the tracks.
To come off the tracks.
To deviate from the previous course or direction.
To cause to deviate from a set course or direction.
In intransitive terms the difference between sidetrack and derail
is that sidetrack is to deviate briefly from the topic at hand while derail is to deviate from the previous course or direction.As nouns the difference between sidetrack and derail
is that sidetrack is a second, relatively short length of track just to the side of a railroad track, joined to the main track by switches at one or both ends, used either for unloading freight, or to allow two trains on a same track to meet (opposite directions) or pass (same direction); a railroad siding while derail is a device placed on railway tracks causing a train to derail.As verbs the difference between sidetrack and derail
is that sidetrack is to divert (a locomotive) on to a lesser used track in order to allow other trains to pass while derail is to cause to come off the tracks.sidetrack
English
Alternative forms
* side-track', ' side trackNoun
(en noun)- Stay focused on the story; you keep getting lost in all of these little sidetracks .
Synonyms
railroad siding, siding, lay-by (UK)Verb
(en verb)- Sorry I'm late. I got sidetracked with contributing to Wiktionary.
- The politician sidetracked the reporter with a story about duck hunting instead of a direct response to the question that was asked.
- I hope you can sidetrack the teacher with questions so we don't have to take the exam.
- The project was sidetracked in favor of a more popular program.
- He has sidetracked this debate for far too long.
- Just to sidetrack a little bit from the subject I will explain my reasoning.
- To sidetrack for a moment, let me commend this team for their outstanding efforts.
Synonyms
* (deviate from the topic at hand) digressAnagrams
*derail
English
(wikipedia derail)Noun
(en noun)- The derail was placed deliberately so that the train would fall into the river.
Verb
(en verb)- The train was destroyed when it was derailed by the penny.
- The conversation derailed once James brought up politics.
- The protesting students derailed the professor's lecture.
