Road

• POS: Noun

CIDE DICTIONARY

Road, n. [AS. rād a riding, that on which one rides or travels, a road, fr. rīdan to ride. See Ride, and cf. Raid.].

•  A journey, or stage of a journey.  [1913 Webster]

  "With easy roads he came to Leicester."  [1913 Webster]
•  An inroad; an invasion; a raid.  Spenser.  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  " The word is generally applied to highways, and as a generic term it includes highway, street, and lane."  [1913 Webster]

  "The most villainous house in all the London road."  [1913 Webster]
•  A place where ships may ride at anchor at some distance from the shore; a roadstead; -- often in the plural; as, Hampton Roads.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

  "Now strike your saile, ye jolly mariners,
  For we be come unto a quiet rode [road]."  [1913 Webster]

  "My hat and wig will soon be here,
  They are upon the road."  [1913 Webster]

  "The highway robber -- road agent he is quaintly called."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- Way; highway; street; lane; pathway; route; passage; course. See Way.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Road, 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.

Idiom

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.

Derivative

roadless adj.

Road, v.tr. (also absol.) (of a dog) follow up (a game-bird) by the scent of its trail.

Etymology

19th c.: orig. unkn.

DEVIL DICTIONARY

Road

n. A strip of land along which one may pass from where it is too tiresome to be to where it is futile to go.

All roads, howsoe'er they diverge, lead to Rome,
Whence, thank the good Lord, at least one leads back home.
Borey the Bald

THESAURUS

Road

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

ROGET THESAURUS

Road

Method

N method, way, manner, wise, gait, form, mode, fashion, tone, guise, modus operandi, MO, procedure, path, road, route, course, line of way, line of road, trajectory, orbit, track, beat, tack, steps, stair, staircase, flight of stairs, ladder, stile, perron, bridge, footbridge, viaduct, pontoon, steppingstone, plank, gangway, drawbridge, pass, ford, ferry, tunnel, pipe, door, gateway, channel, passage, avenue, means of access, approach, adit, artery, lane, loan, alley, aisle, lobby, corridor, back-door, back-stairs, secret passage, covert way, vennel, roadway, pathway, stairway, express, thoroughfare, highway, turnpike, freeway, royal road, coach road, broad highway, King's highway, Queen's highway, beaten track, beaten path, horse road, bridle road, bridle track, bridle path, walk, trottoir, footpath, pavement, flags, sidewalk, crossroad, byroad, bypath, byway, cut, short cut carrefour, private road, occupation road, highways and byways, railroad, railway, tram road, tramway, towpath, causeway, canal, street, speedway, adv, how, in what way, in what manner, by what mode, so, in this way, after this fashion, one way or another, anyhow, somehow or other, by way of, via, in transitu, on the high road to, hae tibi erunt artes.

Abode

N abode, dwelling, lodging, domicile, residence, apartment, place, digs, pad, address, habitation, where one's lot is cast, local habitation, berth, diggings, seat, lap, sojourn, housing, quarters, headquarters, resiance, tabernacle, throne, ark, home, fatherland, country, homestead, homestall, fireside, hearth, hearth stone, chimney corner, inglenook, ingle side, harem, seraglio, zenana, household gods, lares et penates, roof, household, housing, dulce domum, paternal domicile, native soil, native land, habitat, range, stamping ground, haunt, hangout, biosphere, environment, ecological niche, nest, nidus, snuggery, arbor, bower, lair, den, cave, hole, hiding place, cell, sanctum sanctorum, aerie, eyrie, eyry, rookery, hive, covert, resort, retreat, perch, roost, nidification, kala jagah, bivouac, camp, encampment, cantonment, castrametation, barrack, casemate, casern, tent, building, chamber, xenodochium, tenement, messuage, farm, farmhouse, grange, hacienda, toft, cot, cabin, hut, chalet, croft, shed, booth, stall, hovel, bothy, shanty, dugout, wigwam, pen, barn, bawn, kennel, sty, doghold, cote, coop, hutch, byre, cow house, cow shed, stable, dovecote, columbary, columbarium, shippen, igloo, iglu, jacal, lacustrine dwelling, lacuslake dwelling, lacuspile dwelling, log cabin, log house, shack, shebang, tepee, topek, house, mansion, place, villa, cottage, box, lodge, hermitage, rus in urbe, folly, rotunda, tower, chateau, castle, pavilion, hotel, court, manor-house, capital messuage, hall, palace, kiosk, bungalow, casa, country seat, apartment house, flat house, frame house, shingle house, tenement house, temple, hamlet, village, thorp, dorp, ham, kraal, borough, burgh, town, city, capital, metropolis, suburb, province, country, county town, county seat, courthouse, ghetto, street, place, terrace, parade, esplanade, alameda, board walk, embankment, road, row, lane, alley, court, quadrangle, quad, wynd, close, yard, passage, rents, buildings, mews, square, polygon, circus, crescent, mall, piazza, arcade, colonnade, peristyle, cloister, gardens, grove, residences, block of buildings, market place, place, plaza, anchorage, roadstead, roads, dock, basin, wharf, quay, port, harbor, quarter, parish, assembly room, meetinghouse, pump room, spa, watering place, inn, hostel, hostelry, hotel, tavern, caravansary, dak bungalow, khan, hospice, public house, pub, pot house, mug house, gin mill, gin palace, bar, bar room, barrel house, cabaret, chophouse, club, clubhouse, cookshop, dive, exchange, grill room, saloon, shebeen, coffee house, eating house, canteen, restaurant, buffet, cafe, estaminet, posada, almshouse, poorhouse, townhouse, garden, park, pleasure ground, plaisance, demesne, cage, terrarium, doghouse, pen, aviary, barn, stall, zoo, urban, metropolitan, suburban, provincial, rural, rustic, domestic, cosmopolitan, palatial, eigner Hert ist goldes Werth, even cities have their graves, ubi libertas ibi patria, home sweet home.

Direction

N direction, management, managery, government, gubernation, conduct, legislation, regulation, guidance, bossism, legislature, steerage, pilotage, reins, reins of government, helm, rudder, needle, compass, guiding star, load star, lode star, pole star, cynosure, supervision, superintendence, surveillance, oversight, eye of the master, control, charge, board of control, command, premiership, senatorship, director, chair, portfolio, statesmanship, statecraft, kingcraft, queencraft, ministry, ministration, administration, stewardship, proctorship, agency, director, directing, hegemonic, at the helm, at the head of, direction, bearing, course, vector, set, drift, tenor, tendency, incidence, bending, trending, dip, tack, aim, collimation, steering steerage, point of the compass, cardinal points, North East, South, West, N by E, ENE, NE by N, NE, rhumb, azimuth, line of collimation, line, path, road, range, quarter, line of march, alignment, allignment, air line, beeline, straight shoot, directed, directed towards, pointing towards, bound for, aligned, with alligned with, direct, straight, undeviating, unswerving, straightforward, North, Northern, Northerly, towards, on the road, on the high road to, en avant, versus, to, hither, thither, whither, directly, straight as an arrow, forwards as an arrow, point blank, in a bee line to, in a direct line to, as the crow flies, in a straight line to, in a bee line for, in a direct line for, in a straight line for, in a bee line with, in a direct line with, in a straight line with, in a line with, full tilt at, as the crow flies, before the wind, near the wind, close to the wind, against the wind, windwards, in the wind's eye, through, via, by way of, in all directions, in all manner of ways, quaquaversum, from the four winds, the shortest distance between two points is a stra.