Tripcock
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A train-mounted safety device which interacts with a trackside device to stop a train automatically if it passes a signal at danger (showing a red light).
"When a train runs onto the track, thus connecting the two rails, a short circuit is created, the current drops out and the signal switched to red. The system operates in conjunction with a lever on the tracks. If a train should pass a red light, the lever, which is called a tripcock, comes into play. The tripcock releases the air from the train's air-braking system, thus causing the brakes to come on and stopping the train."
Example
More examples"When a train runs onto the track, thus connecting the two rails, a short circuit is created, the current drops out and the signal switched to red. The system operates in conjunction with a lever on the tracks. If a train should pass a red light, the lever, which is called a tripcock, comes into play. The tripcock releases the air from the train's air-braking system, thus causing the brakes to come on and stopping the train."
Etymology
From trip + cock.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.