road

road
road, street
1. According to a law of Henry I of England (1100–35), a street was to be sufficiently broad for two loaded carts to meet and for sixteen armed knights to ride abreast. The history of road and street and of other terms such as lane, avenue, crescent, gate, place, row, terrace, rise, and vale, is extremely complicated, with fine distinctions between (for example) a wide lane and a narrow street. In current usage, a street is normally a paved way in a town or city, whereas a road is a way (paved or not) in a village or in open country. In certain fixed expressions there is inconsistency of choice, since one-way street follows the distinction just given but no through road does not (necessarily).
2. Names attached to particular roads and streets are established by custom, although it is possible to refer to something called ‘Street’ generically as a road and something called ‘Road’ as a street. Note also that a division of the carriageway of a major road (especially a motorway) is called a lane, as the frequent instruction on road signs to ‘keep in lane’ reminds us.

Modern English usage. 2014.

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  • road — W1S1 [rəud US roud] n [: Old English; Origin: rad ride, journey ] 1.) [U and C] a specially prepared hard surface for cars, buses, bicycles etc to travel on →↑street, motorway ↑motorway, freeway ↑freeway ▪ I was driving along the road when a kid… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • road — [ roud ] noun count *** 1. ) a way that leads from one place to another, especially one with a hard surface that cars and other vehicles can use: He was driving on the wrong side of the road. A cat suddenly ran into the middle of the road. All… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • Road to... — Road to... refers to a series of seven comedy films starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour. They are also often referred to as Road pictures. The movies were a combination of adventure, comedy, romance, and music. The minimal plot… …   Wikipedia

  • Road to... — Road to... Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Road to... es una serie de películas protagonizadas por Bob Hope, Bing Crosby y Dorothy Lamour. También son conocidas como Road Pictures. Sus tramas están llenas de aventuras, comedias, romance y musicales …   Wikipedia Español

  • Road — (r[=o]), n. [AS. r[=a]d a riding, that on which one rides or travels, a road, fr. r[=i]dan to ride. See {Ride}, and cf. {Raid}.] 1. A journey, or stage of a journey. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] With easy roads he came to Leicester. Shak. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • road — ► NOUN 1) a wide way between places, especially one surfaced for use by vehicles. 2) a way to achieving a particular outcome. 3) a partly sheltered stretch of water near the shore in which ships can ride at anchor. ● down the road Cf. ↑down the… …   English terms dictionary

  • Road — kommt aus dem Englischen und bedeutet Straße, hauptsächlich werden Straßen außerorts oder am Stadtrand so bezeichnet. Außerdem sind einige Filme mit Road betitelt: Road (1987), britischer Spielfilm von Alan Clarke Road (2000), australischer… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • road — [rōd] n. [ME rode, a riding < OE rad, a ride, traveling on horseback, way; akin to ridan, to RIDE] 1. a way made for traveling between places, esp. distant places, by automobile, horseback, etc.; highway 2. a way; path; course [the road to… …   English World dictionary

  • road — (n.) O.E. rad riding, hostile incursion, from P.Gmc. *ridanan, source of O.E. ridan (see RIDE (Cf. ride)). Also related to RAID (Cf. raid). In Middle English, a riding, a journey; sense of open way for traveling between two places is first… …   Etymology dictionary

  • road up — Road surface being repaired • • • Main Entry: ↑road …   Useful english dictionary

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