Word
線路
Meaning in Englishline, track, roadbed
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Word context
What it means
線路 means the physical rails and the path on which trains travel, i.e., a railway track or the designated route used by rail services.
Main meanings
- the physical rails and sleepers that trains run on
- the railway line or route as it appears on maps, plans, or timetables
- a general or figurative reference to a specific rail segment or service line in everyday speech
How to use it
Used in technical documents, transportation planning, and maps to denote a physical track or a named railway line; in everyday language it refers to a specific track or route in neutral or formal register.
Variants and close terms
- 路線 (rosen) — railway line or route
- 鉄道線 (tetsudōsen) — railway line (technical term)
Composition
- 線: line, thread
- 路: road, path
- 線路: a line along a route used for trains — the track or railway line
Origin
Introduced during the Meiji era with the first railway between Shimbashi and Yokohama in 1872, marking the adoption of modern rail infrastructure in Japan.
Word class
noun (名詞)
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