Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for roadbed. Search instead for roaded.

roadbed

American  
[rohd-bed] / ˈroʊdˌbɛd /

noun

  1. Railroads.

    1. the bed or foundation structure for the track of a railroad.

    2. the layer of ballast immediately beneath the ties of a railroad track.

  2. the material of which a road is composed.


roadbed British  
/ ˈrəʊdˌbɛd /

noun

  1. the material used to make a road

  2. 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

Etymology

Origin of roadbed

1830–40. road + bed

Vocabulary lists containing roadbed

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.

With crews still working to clear debris from under the freeway, the wooden structure that will support the roadbed around the damaged columns is already being constructed.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 16, 2023

The city was already developed, and space was so scarce that First Hill residents held a protest march in 1961 against plans to carve a roadbed through their neighborhood.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 1, 2023

She believes raising the roadbed and installing a small wildlife underpass beneath it would significantly reduce the number of newts that die on Chileno Valley Road.

From New York Times • Jan. 24, 2023

Reuters: How long before wireless charging of electric vehicle batteries will become a reality, whether it's through the roadbed or solar panels on the vehicle or some other means?

From Reuters • Aug. 24, 2021

He stepped high over the steel rails and went down the cinder-bank roadbed toward the river.

From "Ceremony:" by Leslie Marmon Silko

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "roadbed" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com