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What is the difference between transportation and railroad?

transportation | railroad |

As nouns the difference between transportation and railroad

is that transportation is the act of transporting, or the state of being transported; conveyance, often of people, goods etc while railroad is a permanent road consisting of fixed metal rails to drive trains or similar motorized vehicles on.

As a verb railroad is

to transport via railroad.

transportation

English

Noun

(-)
  • The act of transporting, or the state of being transported; conveyance, often of people, goods etc.
    • We have to get people out of their cars and encourage them to use alternative forms of transportation .
  • (historical) Deportation to a penal colony.
    • Mulligan's sentence was commuted from death to transportation .
  • (US) A means of conveyance.
    • Nice transportation , dude, but your brake lights are busted.
  • (US) A ticket or fare.
  • * 1898 , Willa Cather, The Westbound Train
    • Sybil: [..] That reminds me, I haven't got my passes yet! Have you the transportation here from Cheyenne to San Francisco for Mrs. S. Johnston?"
    (Agent looks grave, goes back and fumbles at the papers on his desk, returns to the window with a slip of paper in his hand.)
    Agent: "We had transportation here made out for such a person, but it was called for several hours ago."

    railroad

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A permanent road consisting of fixed metal rails to drive trains or similar motorized vehicles on.
    • ''Many railroads roughly follow the trace of older land - and/or water roads
  • The transportation system comprising such roads and vehicles fitted to travel on the rails, usually with several vehicles connected together in a train.
  • A single, privately or publicly owned property comprising one or more such roads and usually associated assets
    • ''Railroads can only compete fully if their tracks are technically compatible with and linked to each-other
  • (figuratively) A procedure conducted or bullied in haste without due consideration.
    • The lawyers made the procedure a railroad to get the signatures they needed.

    Synonyms

    * railway (UK)

    Derived terms

    * railroad flat * railroad track

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To transport via railroad.
  • To operate a railroad.
    • ''The Thatcherite experiment proved the private sector can railroad as inefficiently as a state monopoly
  • To work for a railroad.
  • To engage in a hobby pertaining to railroads.
  • To manipulate and hasten a procedure, as of formal approval of a law or resolution.
    • The majority railroaded the bill through parliament, without the customary expert studies which would delay it till after the elections.
  • To convict of a crime by circumventing due process.
    • They could only convict him by railroading him on suspect drug-possession charges.
  • To procedurally bully someone into an unfair agreement.
    • He was railroaded into signing a non-disclosure agreement at his exit interview.
  • (role-playing games) To force characters to complete a task before allowing the plot to continue.

    • Derived terms

    * railroader