road
Americannoun
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roads
plural
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a long, narrow stretch with a smoothed or paved surface, made for traveling by motor vehicle, carriage, etc., between two or more points; street or highway.
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a way or course.
the road to peace.
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a railroad.
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Also called roadstead. Nautical. Often roads a partly sheltered area of water near a shore in which vessels may ride at anchor.
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Mining. any tunnel in a mine used for hauling.
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the road, the places, usually outside of New York City, at which theatrical companies on tour generally give performances.
idioms
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on the road,
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traveling, especially as a sales representative.
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on tour, as a theatrical company.
The musical ends its New York run next week to go on the road.
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started; under way.
We need funds to get the project on the road.
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take to the road, to begin a journey or tour. Also take the road.
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take the high road. see take the high road.
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hit the road, to begin or resume traveling.
We hit the road before sunrise.
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down the road, in the future.
Economists see higher interest rates down the road.
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one for the road, a final alcoholic drink taken just before departing from a party, tavern, or the like.
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burn up the road, to drive or move very fast.
noun
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an open way, usually surfaced with asphalt or concrete, providing passage from one place to another
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( as modifier )
road traffic
a road map
a road sign
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( in combination )
the roadside
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a street
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( capital when part of a name )
London Road
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short for railroad
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one of the tracks of a railway
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a way, path, or course
the road to fame
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Also called: roadstead. (often plural) nautical a partly sheltered anchorage
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a drift or tunnel in a mine, esp a level one
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slang to start or resume travelling
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travelling, esp as a salesman
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(of a theatre company, pop group, etc) on tour
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leading a wandering life
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to begin a journey or tour
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informal a last alcoholic drink before leaving
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of road
First recorded before 900; Middle English rode, earlier rade, Old English rād “a riding, journey on horseback,” akin to rīdan “to ride ”
Explanation
A road is a wide, usually paved path that's big enough for cars to travel on. There are some roads that are so long, you can follow them from one coast of the U.S. to the other. While some roads can be traveled by pedestrians, the word usually specifies a thoroughfare for vehicles, especially cars, trucks, and buses. The longest road in the United States is U.S. Route 20, which stretches from Oregon to Massachusetts. Figuratively, a road can also be a means to an end, or the way to achieve a certain result: "She's on the road to success!" or "He wasn't feeling well yesterday, but now he's on the road to recovery."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
When this Motown-y gem did even better than “Lover,” Mellencamp hit the road with the Kinks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
It said there was no estimated time for reopening the road.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
Vollering backed her embattled teammate Gery and everyone took the high road.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
Decades ago, road noise and car noise could make quite a racket in a car’s interior.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
Phineas is intent on his team, on the slope of the road, and on the big, rocking coach.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
But in Europe and the U.K., where tariffs are less punitive, Chinese car brands including Geely and BYD are appearing more frequently on the roads.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
Beyond its role as a major creditor, China has built a broad economic presence in Zambia, with interests spanning copper mining, roads, airports, power projects and industrial parks.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
"Back in the old days, they didn't used to helicopter off the minute they'd done the encore, they would come up and chill at the house until the roads cleared."
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
San Francisco Bay and Monterey Bay are at risk of flooding in places like parking lots, parks and roads, the National Weather Service said, through early Thursday morning.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026
On the bright side, the new lake was full of fish, but there were no roads, so they couldn’t sell their catches, nor could they store them, because there was no electricity.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
