roadbed

[ rohd-bed ]

/ ˈroʊdˌbɛd /

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noun

Railroads.

the bed or foundation structure for the track of a railroad.
the layer of ballast immediately beneath the ties of a railroad track.

the material of which a road is composed.

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Origin of roadbed

1830–40. Americanism;road + bed

Words nearby roadbed

road, roadability, road agent, road allowance, road apple, roadbed, roadblock, road book, road company, roadeo, road-fund licence

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use roadbed in a sentence

Warming temperatures are accelerating the glacier’s movement downhill, carrying 300 feet of roadbed with it and jeopardizing continued access to some of the park’s key attractions.
At Alaska’s most popular national park, climate change threatens the only road in and out|Nathaniel Herz|October 15, 2021|Washington Post
In that area, the dirt roadbed is cut into a shelf on the mountainside.
At Alaska’s most popular national park, climate change threatens the only road in and out|Nathaniel Herz|October 15, 2021|Washington Post
The roadbed was wide enough to permit the meeting and passing of the largest wagons without trouble.
The Private Life of the Romans|Harold Whetstone Johnston
The brief storm had been a severe one, and in one spot the roadbed was considerably washed out.
The Rover Boys on the Farm|Arthur M. Winfield (AKA Edward Stratemeyer)

Though of narrow gauge the roadbed was laid for standard gauge, and this change can be made at any time.
Guatemala, the country of the future|Charles M. Pepper
Nevertheless, walking was not easy for the roadbed bore a shell of treacherous ice.
Ghost Beyond the Gate|Mildred A. Wirt
The gap through the mountains looked familiar as I spied it from the distance, but the roadbed to the right I had forgotten.
Ox-Team Days on the Oregon Trail|Ezra Meeker

British Dictionary definitions for roadbed

roadbed

/ (ˈrəʊdˌbɛd) /

noun

the material used to make a road

a layer of ballast that supports the sleepers of a railway track

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012