Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A horseracing enthusiast, especially one who watches races at the outer rail of the track.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A
rail or similar bird - noun US, slang A
gambler ; originally specifically ahorseracing enthusiast
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a fan of racing who watches races from the outer rail of the track
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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The sport is highly telegenic, and has great cyber-possibilities: it's full of railbird chatter, and handicappers analyze more downloadable data than fantasy-baseball practitioners do.
Limping Home 2008
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Pearce's antics have been so offensive, a railbird told our reporter yesterday, that House Republican Leaders are having difficulty filling out the Appropriations Committee roster--expected to be between 15 and 18 members--because a number of members are unwilling to sit on a committee he chairs.
Archive 2006-12-01 2006
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The morning of May 12, the first day of the championship, Stuey was little more than a railbird a derogatory term used to describe the brokesters who watch the action from behind the barriers surrounding the tables.
One of a Kind Nolan Dalla 2005
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The morning of May 12, the first day of the championship, Stuey was little more than a railbird a derogatory term used to describe the brokesters who watch the action from behind the barriers surrounding the tables.
One of a Kind Nolan Dalla 2005
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The morning of May 12, the first day of the championship, Stuey was little more than a railbird a derogatory term used to describe the brokesters who watch the action from behind the barriers surrounding the tables.
One of a Kind Nolan Dalla 2005
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Mansfield was a known railbird, and he'd be glued to the finish line before the first race went off.
A Bomb Built in Hell Vachss, Andrew 2000
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Some railbird satirist near the wire bawled "Go!" as the unspeakable riot swept past in dust-clouds.
The Skipper and the Skipped Being the Shore Log of Cap'n Aaron Sproul Holman Day 1900
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In the course of a mini-monologue, Zito can sound like a railbird who was one unlucky break from cashing a big ticket.
NYT > Home Page 2010
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Numbers don't really convey it, especially if you're not much of a railbird.
Slate Magazine Meghan O'Rourke 2010
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Morgan Mundane was the street-wise bookie and eternal railbird, all of them springing full-form from the sly mind and mouth of Steve Cannon each weekday afternoon.
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