spur track
- noun
- /spɜr træk/
- Specialized
:
ramal
- The freight train unloaded its cargo on the spur track, which was built specifically for industrial use.
Examples
-
The company built a new factory that connects directly to the spur track for efficient shipping.
-
Why couldn't there be a spur track right on Spanish Bit?
-
After the main line crossed the river, a spur track branched off to serve the nearby warehouse.
Synonyms
10
7.0
A short railway line that branches off the main track
1
3.9
A railway line that leaves a main line to serve a small area
How Important
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly derivable from 'spur' (an offshoot or short branch) combined with 'track' (a railway line), so a learner who knows both constituents can infer a short branch railway line. This noun–noun compounding is compositionally transparent and has clear cross‑linguistic parallels, making it immediately understandable to B1 learners.
Etymology
Spur track comes from the image of a horse's spur, a small metal point that sticks out, and a track that runs off the main line. So a spur track is a short railway line that 'juts off' the main route to reach a factory or yard, and it means 'a short branch' from the main line.