different between derail vs drail

English

Etymology

From French dérailler (“to go off the rails”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d???e?l/, /?di???e?l/
• Rhymes: -e?l

Noun

derail (plural derails)

1. 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.

2. An instance of diverting a conversation or debate from its original topic.

Verb

derail (third-person singular simple present derails, present participle derailing, simple past and past participle derailed)

1. (transitive) To cause to come off the tracks.

2. (intransitive) To come off the tracks.
3. (intransitive, figuratively) To deviate from the previous course or direction.

4. (transitive, figuratively) To cause to deviate from a set course or direction.

Quotations

• For quotations using this term, see Citations:derail.

Synonyms

• unrail

Derived terms

• derailment

Translations

Anagrams

• Adriel, Dariel, Lérida, dialer, earlid, laired, railed, re-laid, redial, relaid

English

Etymology

From Middle English *drailen (attested as drailed), a variant of Middle English trailen (“to hang loosely, drag along, drag away”), from a merger of Old French trailer, traillier (“to trail”) and Old English tr??lian, tr??elian (“to pluck, pull away”). The alteration of trailen to drailen was probably due to influence from Middle English dragan, drawen (“to drag, draw”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d?e?l/
• Rhymes: -e?l

Noun

drail (plural drails)

1. (fishing) A hook with a lead shank.
2. (fishing) The piece of lead around the shank of such a hook.
3. The iron bow of a plough from which the traces draw.

Verb

drail (third-person singular simple present drails, present participle drailing, simple past and past participle drailed)

1. (fishing, obsolete) To trail; to draggle.

Anagrams

• LIDAR, Laird, laird, larid, liard, lidar