Silk Road

American  

[silk rohd] / ˈsɪlk ˈroʊd /

Sometimes Silk Route

noun

1. an ancient, 4,000-mile network of trade routes linking China with the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian subcontinent during the time of the Roman Empire, and later revived during the Middle Ages: named for the lucrative trade in silk from China to the West.

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Etymology

Origin of Silk Road

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

Indeed, history is filled with examples of this, from the medieval Black Death hitchhiking along the Silk Road to the “Russian flu” pandemic of the late 19th century that was accelerated by trains and steamships.

From Salon • Feb. 28, 2026

Beijing is pursuing what it calls a Polar Silk Road.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 7, 2026

China is investing heavily to advance its New Silk Road initiative, a massive transport and infrastructure project to boost land routes between Asia and Europe.

From Barron's • Nov. 30, 2025

They travelled around Europe and into the UK with the Romans and then started moving east along the Silk Road into China.

From BBC • Nov. 27, 2025

There is more traffic in this section of the Silk Road, a jumble of anonymous users crowding into alleys and in front of doorways, creating the sense of a night market.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu

Related Words

• sea lane