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

The 29-year-old celebrated by clapping his hands and gesturing towards the Phillies players in the dugout, who responded by cheering and slapping the railings. —George Ramsay, CNN, 16 Aug. 2024

Trump grabbed hold of the railing and climbed the steps into his box where he was greeted by his two oldest sons, Eric and Donald Jr. —Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 16 July 2024

Install a hanging table off your railings, and relocate your work area to your balcony for a temporary change of scenery. —Aksha Mittapalli, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 July 2024

If your patio has rails, consider exploring lights built into their railing for an elevated look. —Michelle Mastro, Architectural Digest, 29 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

railing

noun

rail·​ing ˈrā-liŋ 

1

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

2

: material for rails