level crossing

American  

noun

British.

1. grade crossing.

---

level crossing British  

noun

1. US and Canadian name: grade crossing.  a point at which a railway and a road cross, esp one with barriers that close the road when a train is scheduled to pass

---

Etymology

Origin of level crossing

First recorded in 1835–45

Example Sentences

Images on social media on Saturday showed the train approaching a level crossing at a moderate speed before colliding with the bus, which was on the tracks and stuck in traffic.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

An 11-year-old boy who was hit and killed by a train at a level crossing is believed to have been distracted by a video on his mobile phone, an investigation has found.

From BBC • Nov. 4, 2025

The physical level crossing on High Street has long since been decommissioned and removed, with the gates reportedly finding new use as fencing for a farm.

From BBC • Sep. 2, 2025

A van rolled down a hill and crashed through a railway level crossing barrier after a pet dog chewed through the handbrake cable, according to its owner.

From BBC • Jul. 10, 2025

Initially, when the level crossing had just closed, the air was full of the impatient sound of idling engines.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy