bullet train
5
2.8
- noun
- /ˈbʊlɪt treɪn/
:
tren bala
- The French have TGV bullet trains that beat commuter jets.
- bullet train from Tokyo
- Japanese bullet train
- bullet train in Japan
Examples
-
The bullet train thunders through the tunnel beyond the wall.
Fiction book (2000) -
A real bullet train can go 218 MPH!
Blog text (7) -
The bullet train has 16 cars.
-
There is a five a.m. bullet train for Mihara.
-
Yet the state wants to build a bullet train and has established a high-speed rail authority for that purpose.
Blog text (4) -
So the next day, we're on the bullet train to Kyoto before England's next game.
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It looks like Yuichi lost his phone on the bullet train.
-
We are off to Sendai, Japan, an hour and a half on a bullet train from Tokyo to Sendai.
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Also with its hand out is the Florida High-Speed Rail Authority, which voters authorized to construct a bullet train connecting Miami, Orlando, and Tampa.
Academic text (2005) -
The bullet train travels at speeds exceeding 300 kilometers per hour.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A long set of connected cars that carries people on rails
38
4.9
A very fast passenger train like the Japanese Shinkansen
8
1.5
A train that carries people, not goods
3
7.3
A very fast train that floats above the track using magnets without touching it
1
1.8
A long line of connected cars that runs on tracks and carries people or goods
1
7.7
A train or vehicle with a smooth curved shape built to move faster through the air
A very fast passenger train with modern technology
How Fast
Surface Forms
Morphology
The modifier 'bullet' evokes a fast projectile, so a learner who knows 'bullet' and 'train' can plausibly infer this refers to a very fast train — the metaphorical use of 'bullet' to indicate speed is fairly transparent. However, the specific technical sense (dedicated high‑speed intercity service, as in Japan) and the conventionalized name require some cultural/lexical knowledge, so the meaning is not fully predictable from the parts.
Etymology
Bullet train got its name because the long, pointed front of the train looked like a bullet and it moved very fast. So, it means 'a very fast train'.