Funicular
[fyoo-NIK-yə-lər]
Part of speech: adjective
Origin: Latin, mid-17th century
1.
Relating to a rope or its tension.
2.
(of a railway, especially one on a mountainside) operating by cable with ascending and descending cars counterbalanced.
Examples of Funicular in a sentence
"The funicular pulley system in the barn let him hoist the large bales of hay by himself."
"I don’t know how to ski, but I still enjoy taking the funicular tram to the top of the mountain."
About Funicular
Funicular comes from the Latin “funiculus,” which means rope. The adjective can be applied to any description of a rope and its tension, but it is most commonly used to describe a specific type of railway. Funicular can also be used as a noun, to name such a railway.
Did you Know?
The adjective funicular is commonly placed before railway to refer to a type of train system in which counterbalanced cars are propelled up a steep incline on a cable and pulley system. The first public funicular railway was the Funiculaires de Lyon, which opened in France in 1862. The first funicular railway in the United States was the Telegraph Hill Railroad, which was in operation in San Francisco from 1884 through 1886.
