Guardrail
/ˈɡɑːrdˌreɪl/noun
A barrier along the side of a road, bridge, or other edge to prevent people or vehicles from falling off.
Did you know?The first part, guard, ultimately comes from a Germanic root meaning “to watch, protect,” while rail comes from a Latin word for a straight bar, so the whole word is basically “protective bar.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*wardōną
“to watch, guard, protect”
Old French
OF
garder
“to keep, protect, watch over”
Middle English
ME
garde
“protection, custody, a guard”
Latin
Latin
regula
“a straight piece of wood, bar, or rule”
Old French
OF
reille
“a rail, bar, or rod”
Modern English
English
guardrail
“a protective barrier along an edge”