railing

noun

rail·​ing ˈrā-liŋ 

1

: a barrier consisting of a rail and supports

2

: rails

also : material for making rails

Synonyms

• balustrade
• banister
• bannister
• guardrail
• rail

Examples of railing in a Sentence

He leaned on the deck's railing and watched the sun set.

they had to put a childproof railing on the balcony when the baby started walking

Recent Examples on the Web

She's noticed several new builds or renovation projects that show off columns and railings that are out of proportion with the house's size, which throws the entire home's curb appeal off balance. —Tessa Cooper, Southern Living, 3 Apr. 2025

Workers look for nests of wild birds to remove, and the park has installed metal spikes on railings and the tops of buildings to discourage roosting. —Karen Kucher, Mercury News, 24 Mar. 2025

The round aluminum balusters in the railing were held in place by plastic extrusions that fit into the top and bottom fiberglass railing members. —Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2025

But other elements, including safety railings, are needed before the area can open to the public, Angela Brady, director of Seattle's Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects, told Axios this week. —Melissa Santos, Axios, 6 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for railing

• ailing
• bailing
• baling
• failing
• flailing
• grayling
• hailing
• jailing
• mailing
• nailing
• paling
• sailing

Kids Definition

railing

noun

rail·​ing ˈrā-liŋ 

1

: a barrier (as a fence) consisting of rails and their supports

2

: material for rails