Definition of "railbird" [railbird]

• Slang A horseracing enthusiast, especially one who watches races at the outer rail of the track. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "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."
• "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."
• "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."