Word of the Day 24 August 2026

branch line

A secondary railroad route or one subsidiary to a railroad's mainlines.

Why this one

Secondary route off the mainline. The term crossed out of rail into plumbing, electrical distribution and network topology.

In use

Freight comes off the main at the junction, then it's forty minutes crawling up the branch line to the quarry siding.

Written by our editors to show how the term is used, not a recorded quotation.

Sources