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:
In May 2001, a month after Monica Coghlan's death in a road accident, Archer went on trial.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
Pop my head out the kitchen window like a dog on a road trip.
From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026
The company should “take advantage of this rare moment in time when everything is lining up for them — and later down the road, when growth slows, look into buybacks,” Rocco told MarketWatch.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026
To stretch his margins, he parks at loading docks to avoid overnight truck stop fees, brings food from home to eat on the road and hasn’t paid for a truck wash in nearly three months.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
You turn your back to the road, ignoring the sweat collecting along your spine.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Long lines of stationary cars and buses clogged major roads on Friday as commuters sought alternate routes, with some forced to continue their journeys on foot.
From Barron's ● Oct. 3, 2026
The port was constructed as the terminus of a planned $25 billion economic corridor, with roads, rail and an oil pipeline linking Lamu to landlocked South Sudan and Ethiopia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
The speed limits on the roads between the two cities range from 45 mph to 75 mph depending on the stretch of road.
From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026
Multiple roads in the area of Pen-Y-Bryn Road and Bryn Road were closed and people were asked to avoid the area.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
The Underworld spread out on the other side: a glorious landscape with roads leading in millions of directions, massive gates, and countless doors to different eternal destinations.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
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.
