railcar

IPA/ˈreɪlkɑː(r)/
KK[rˈelkˌɑr]IPA/ˈreɪlkɑːr/

railcar — noun

  • railcarsingular
  • railcarsplural

1. one of the separate sections joined together to form a train, used for carrying

1.名詞B1
釋義

one of the separate sections joined together to form a train, used for carrying passengers or goods

例句

Ada sat by the window in the last railcar, watching the green fields roll past.

adjective + railcar: last railcar, first railcar, front railcar

The freight railcar carried lumber from the mill to the port.

compound noun: freight railcar, passenger railcar, mail railcar

同義詞
  • carriage

    more common in British English for passenger sections of a train

  • wagon

    used mainly for freight-carrying rail vehicles, especially in UK and Commonwealth

  • car

    the most common everyday word in American English; shorter and less formal

文法句型

railcar + verb (is/has/carries)

adjective + railcar

用法筆記

Often used in compound nouns to specify the type of carriage (passenger railcar, freight railcar, mail railcar). In everyday conversation, 'car' or 'carriage' is more common in British English; 'railcar' is frequent in technical and logistical writing.

常見錯誤

❌The locomotive pulled twenty railcars behind it.
✅The locomotive pulled twenty cars/carriages behind it.
💡For individual train cars in a connected train, 'car' or 'carriage' is more natural in general usage.

2. a railway vehicle that has its own engine and can move without being pulled by a

2.名詞B2
釋義

a railway vehicle that has its own engine and can move without being pulled by a separate locomotive, typically used on shorter or local routes

例句

A diesel railcar carried commuters between the two small towns every morning.

fuel-type adjective: diesel railcar, electric railcar

The railway company replaced old steam locomotives with modern electric railcars on the coastal route.

electric railcar as a modern alternative to locomotive-hauled trains

同義詞

文法句型

railcar + verb (runs, carries, connects)

adjective + railcar

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: a sense-2 railcar is self-propelled and operates as a single unit or with one or two attached cars, whereas a sense-1 railcar is a passive carriage that must be pulled by a locomotive. Common in European and Japanese rail contexts for local and regional services.

常見錯誤

❌We rode in a railcar pulled by a steam locomotive.
✅We rode in a carriage pulled by a steam locomotive.
💡If the vehicle is pulled rather than self-propelled, use 'carriage' or 'car', not 'railcar' in sense 2.