# Bradshaw

/ˈbɹædˌʃɔ/ (US) · CEFR C2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/bradshaw
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Definition

a famous historical book that listed train times in Britain. People used it for many years to plan their rail journeys.

For teachers: a comprehensive railway guide and timetable for Great Britain and Ireland, originally published by George Bradshaw. Often used metonymically to refer to any such historical rail schedule.

## Examples

- He consulted his Bradshaw to find the next train to London.
- In many Victorian novels, characters rely on a Bradshaw to navigate the complex and expanding rail network of the era.
- The meticulous detail of a nineteenth-century Bradshaw provides modern historians with a precise map of the industrial revolution's logistical reach across the British Isles.

## Usage notes

- Usually capitalised as it is a proper name derived from the publisher; often used with the definite article.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.