Adjacent Words

Road definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

ROAD, n. [L. gradior. See Grade.]
1. An open way or public passage; ground appropriated for travel, forming a communication between one city, town or place and another. The word is generally applied to highways, and as a generic term it includes highway, street and lane. The military roads of the Romans were paved with stone, or formed of gravel or pebbles, and some of them remain to this day entire.
2. A place where ships may ride at anchor at some distance from the shore; sometimes called roadstead, that is, a place for riding, meaning at anchor.
3. A journey. [Not used, but we still use ride as a noun; as a long ride; a short ride; the same word differently written.]
4. An inroad; incursion of an enemy. [Not in use.]
On the road, passing; traveling.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation [syn: road, route]
2: a way or means to achieve something; "the road to fame"

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English rode, from Old English r?d ride, journey; akin to Old English r?dan to ride Date: 14th century 1. roadstead — often used in plural 2. a. an open way for vehicles, persons, and animals; especially one lying outside of an urban district ; highway b. roadbed 2b 3. a route or way to an end, conclusion, or circumstance <on the road to success> 4. railway 5. a series of scheduled visits or appearances (as games or performances) in several locations or the travel necessary to make these visits <the team is on the road> <on tour with the musical's road company> • roadless adjective

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. n. 1 a a path or way with a specially prepared surface, used by vehicles, pedestrians, etc. b the part of this used by vehicles (don't step in the road). 2 one's way or route (our road took us through unexplored territory). 3 an underground passage in a mine. 4 US a railway. 5 (usu. in pl.) a partly sheltered piece of water near the shore in which ships can ride at anchor. Phrases and idioms: by road using transport along roads. get out of the (or my etc.) road colloq. cease to obstruct a person. in the (or my etc.) road colloq. obstructing a person or thing. one for the road colloq. a final (esp. alcoholic) drink before departure. on the road travelling, esp. as a firm's representative, itinerant performer, or vagrant. road fund Brit. hist. a fund for the construction and maintenance of roads and bridges. road fund licence Brit. a disc displayed on a vehicle certifying payment of road tax. road-hog colloq. a reckless or inconsiderate road-user, esp. a motorist. road-holding the capacity of a moving vehicle to remain stable when cornering at high speeds etc. road-house an inn or club on a major road. road hump = sleeping policeman (see SLEEP). road-manager the organizer and supervisor of a musicians' tour. road-map a map showing the roads of a country or area. road-metal broken stone used in road-making or for railway ballast. road sense a person's capacity for safe behaviour on the road, esp. in traffic. road show 1 a a performance given by a touring company, esp. a group of pop musicians. b a company giving such performances. 2 a radio or television programme done on location. road sign a sign giving information or instructions to road users. road tax a periodic tax payable on road vehicles. road test a test of the performance of a vehicle on the road. road-test v.tr. test (a vehicle) on the road. the road to the way of getting to or achieving (the road to London; the road to ruin). road train a large lorry pulling one or more trailers. rule of the road the custom or law regulating which side of the road is to be taken by vehicles (also riders or ships) meeting or passing each other. take the road set out. Derivatives: roadless adj. Etymology: OE rad f. ridan RIDE 2. v.tr. (also absol.) (of a dog) follow up (a game-bird) by the scent of its trail. Etymology: 19th c.: orig. unkn.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Road Road, 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.] With easy roads he came to Leicester. --Shak. 2. An inroad; an invasion; a raid. [Obs.] --Spenser. 3. A place where one may ride; an open way or public passage for vehicles, persons, and animals; a track for travel, forming a means of communication between one city, town, or place, and another. The most villainous house in all the London road. --Shak. Note: The word is generally applied to highways, and as a generic term it includes highway, street, and lane. 4. [Possibly akin to Icel. rei[eth]i the rigging of a ship, E. ready.] A place where ships may ride at anchor at some distance from the shore; a roadstead; -- often in the plural; as, Hampton Roads. --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Break Break, v. t. [imp. broke, (Obs. Brake); p. p. Broken, (Obs. Broke); p. pr. & vb. n. Breaking.] [OE. breken, AS. brecan; akin to OS. brekan, D. breken, OHG. brehhan, G. brechen, Icel. braka to creak, Sw. braka, br["a]kka to crack, Dan. br[ae]kke to break, Goth. brikan to break, L. frangere. Cf. Bray to pound, Breach, Fragile.] 1. To strain apart; to sever by fracture; to divide with violence; as, to break a rope or chain; to break a seal; to break an axle; to break rocks or coal; to break a lock. --Shak. 2. To lay open as by breaking; to divide; as, to break a package of goods. 3. To lay open, as a purpose; to disclose, divulge, or communicate. Katharine, break thy mind to me. --Shak. 4. To infringe or violate, as an obligation, law, or promise. Out, out, hyena! these are thy wonted arts . . . To break all faith, all vows, deceive, betray. --Milton 5. To interrupt; to destroy the continuity of; to dissolve or terminate; as, to break silence; to break one's sleep; to break one's journey. Go, release them, Ariel; My charms I'll break, their senses I'll restore. --Shak. 6. To destroy the completeness of; to remove a part from; as, to break a set. 7. To destroy the arrangement of; to throw into disorder; to pierce; as, the cavalry were not able to break the British squares. 8. To shatter to pieces; to reduce to fragments. The victim broke in pieces the musical instruments with which he had solaced the hours of captivity. --Prescott. 9. To exchange for other money or currency of smaller denomination; as, to break a five dollar bill. 10. To destroy the strength, firmness, or consistency of; as, to break flax. 11. To weaken or impair, as health, spirit, or mind. An old man, broken with the storms of state. --Shak. 12. To diminish the force of; to lessen the shock of, as a fall or blow. I'll rather leap down first, and break your fall. --Dryden. 13. To impart, as news or information; to broach; -- with to, and often with a modified word implying some reserve; as, to break the news gently to the widow; to break a purpose cautiously to a friend. 14. To tame; to reduce to subjection; to make tractable; to discipline; as, to break a horse to the harness or saddle. ``To break a colt.'' --Spenser. Why, then thou canst not break her to the lute? --Shak. 15. To destroy the financial credit of; to make bankrupt; to ruin. With arts like these rich Matho, when he speaks, Attracts all fees, and little lawyers breaks. --Dryden. 16. To destroy the official character and standing of; to cashier; to dismiss. I see a great officer broken. --Swift. Note: With prepositions or adverbs: To break down. (a) To crush; to overwhelm; as, to break down one's strength; to break down opposition. (b) To remove, or open a way through, by breaking; as, to break down a door or wall. To break in. (a) To force in; as, to break in a door. (b) To train; to discipline; as, a horse well broken in. To break of, to rid of; to cause to abandon; as, to break one of a habit. To break off. (a) To separate by breaking; as, to break off a twig. (b) To stop suddenly; to abandon. ``Break off thy sins by righteousness.'' --Dan. iv. 27. To break open, to open by breaking. ``Open the door, or I will break it open.'' --Shak. To break out, to take or force out by breaking; as, to break out a pane of glass. To break out a cargo, to unstow a cargo, so as to unload it easily. To break through. (a) To make an opening through, as, as by violence or the force of gravity; to pass violently through; as, to break through the enemy's lines; to break through the ice. (b) To disregard; as, to break through the ceremony. To break up. (a) To separate into parts; to plow (new or fallow ground). ``Break up this capon.'' --Shak. ``Break up your fallow ground.'' --Jer. iv. 3. (b) To dissolve; to put an end to. ``Break up the court.'' --Shak. To break (one) all up, to unsettle or disconcert completely; to upset. [Colloq.] Note: With an immediate object: To break the back. (a) To dislocate the backbone; hence, to disable totally. (b) To get through the worst part of; as, to break the back of a difficult undertaking. To break bulk, to destroy the entirety of a load by removing a portion of it; to begin to unload; also, to transfer in detail, as from boats to cars. To break cover, to burst forth from a protecting concealment, as game when hunted. To break a deer or stag, to cut it up and apportion the parts among those entitled to a share. To break fast, to partake of food after abstinence. See Breakfast. To break ground. (a) To open the earth as for planting; to commence excavation, as for building, siege operations, and the like; as, to break ground for a foundation, a canal, or a railroad. (b) Fig.: To begin to execute any plan. (c) (Naut.) To release the anchor from the bottom. To break the heart, to crush or overwhelm (one) with grief. To break a house (Law), to remove or set aside with violence and a felonious intent any part of a house or of the fastenings provided to secure it. To break the ice, to get through first difficulties; to overcome obstacles and make a beginning; to introduce a subject. To break jail, to escape from confinement in jail, usually by forcible means. To break a jest, to utter a jest. ``Patroclus . . . the livelong day breaks scurril jests.'' --Shak. To break joints, to lay or arrange bricks, shingles, etc., so that the joints in one course shall not coincide with those in the preceding course. To break a lance, to engage in a tilt or contest. To break the neck, to dislocate the joints of the neck. To break no squares, to create no trouble. [Obs.] To break a path, road, etc., to open a way through obstacles by force or labor. To break upon a wheel, to execute or torture, as a criminal by stretching him upon a wheel, and breaking his limbs with an iron bar; -- a mode of punishment formerly employed in some countries. To break wind, to give vent to wind from the anus. Syn: To dispart; rend; tear; shatter; batter; violate; infringe; demolish; destroy; burst; dislocate.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(roads) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. A road is a long piece of hard ground which is built between two places so that people can drive or ride easily from one place to the other. There was very little traffic on the roads... We just go straight up the Bristol Road... Buses carry 30 per cent of those travelling by road... ...road accidents... N-COUNT: oft in names, also by N 2. The road to a particular result is the means of achieving it or the process of achieving it. We are bound to see some ups and downs along the road to recovery. N-COUNT: usu sing, N to n 3. If you hit the road, you set out on a journey. (INFORMAL) I was relieved to get back in the car and hit the road again. PHRASE: V inflects 4. If you are on the road, you are going on a long journey or a series of journeys by road. He hoped to get a new truck and go back on the road. PHRASE: usu v-link PHR 5. If you say that someone is on the road to something, you mean that they are likely to achieve it. The government took another step on the road to political reform. PHRASE: usu PHR after v, PHR to n 6. the end of the road: see end

Easton's Bible Dictionary

(1 Sam. 27:10; R.V., "raid"), an inroad, an incursion. This word is never used in Scripture in the sense of a way or path.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Path, way, lane, street, route, course, pathway, track, passage, highway, thoroughfare, highroad. 2. Roadstead, anchorage.

Moby Thesaurus

Autobahn, US highway, access, air lane, alley, alleyway, anchorage, anchorage ground, approach, approaches, arm, armlet, arterial, arterial highway, arterial street, artery, autoroute, autostrada, avenue, basin, bay, bayou, beat, belt, belt highway, berth, bight, blind alley, boca, boulevard, breakwater, bulkhead, bypass, byway, camino real, carriageway, causeway, causey, channel, chaussee, chuck, circuit, circumferential, close, corduroy road, county road, course, court, cove, creek, crescent, cul-de-sac, dead-end street, dike, direction, dirt road, dock, dockage, dockyard, drag, drive, driveway, dry dock, embankment, entree, estuary, euripus, expressway, fairway, fjord, flight path, freeway, frith, gravel road, groin, gulf, gut, harbor, harborage, haven, highroad, highway, highways and byways, inlet, interstate highway, itinerary, jetty, jutty, kyle, landing, landing place, landing stage, lane, line, local road, loch, main drag, main road, marina, means, method, mews, mole, moorings, motorway, mouth, narrow, narrow seas, narrows, natural harbor, orbit, parkway, passage, path, pave, paved road, pier, pike, place, plank road, port, primary highway, primrose path, private road, procedure, protected anchorage, quay, reach, riding, right-of-way, ring road, roadbed, roads, roadstead, roadway, round, route, route nationale, row, royal road, run, sea lane, seaport, seawall, seaway, secondary road, ship route, shipyard, shortcut, slip, sound, speedway, state highway, steamer track, strait, straits, street, superhighway, technique, terrace, thoroughfare, through street, thruway, toll road, tour, township road, track, trade route, traject, trajectory, trajet, turnpike, walk, waterway, way, wharf, wynd