1N-COUNT (铁路轨道)第三轨; 输电轨The third rail on a railway track is the steel bar which passes electric current to a train. (铁路轨道)第三轨; 输电轨
2N-SING [theN](政治上的)险局If you refer to something as thethird rail of a political situation, you mean that it would be dangerous to make changes to that thing because people feel very strongly about it. (政治上的)险局 [US]
Politicians speak of Social Security as the third rail. To touch it is to commit political suicide.