zebra crossing

American  

[zee-bruh kraw-sing, kros-ing, zeb-ruh] / ˈzi brə ˌkrɔ sɪŋ, ˈkrɒs ɪŋ, ˈzɛb rə /

noun

British.

1. a crosswalk marked with white stripes.

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zebra crossing British  

noun

1. a pedestrian crossing marked on a road by broad alternate black and white stripes. Once on the crossing the pedestrian has right of way

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Etymology

Origin of zebra crossing

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

"The traffic doesn't stop for me so what makes them think it will stop for parents, whether there is a zebra crossing or not. In the mornings, it's a fighting battle every day," she said.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2025

Italian media reported that the 44-year-old worker was painting zebra crossing lines in the town of Lodi, near Milan, before he collapsed from the heat.

From BBC • Jul. 12, 2023

The trio even recreated the Beatles’ “Abbey Road” album cover — only trading the zebra crossing in London for New York.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 14, 2023

"It's a lovely evening," he writes, "and as I make for the station the first teenagers of spring are gathering, waiting for their turn on the zebra crossing."

From Salon • Oct. 8, 2022

They also believed that if they were killed on a zebra crossing, the Government would pay for their funerals.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy