I. ˈrōd noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English rood, rode, from Old English rād ride, riding, journey; akin to Middle Dutch rede ride, manner of riding, Old Norse reith vehicle, riding; derivative from the root of Old English rīdan to ride — more at ride
1. obsolete
a.
(1) : the act of riding on a horse
(2) : a journey on horseback
b. : an armed hostile incursion on horseback against a person or place : foray , raid
2. : roadstead — often used in plural
shipping lying in the roads — Mary Johnston
Hampton Roads, Virginia
3.
a. : an open way or public passage for vehicles, persons, and animals : a track for travel or transportation to and fro serving as a means of communication between two places usually having distinguishing names
b. : a public way outside of an urban district : highway — contrasted with street
c. : the part of a thoroughfare over which vehicular traffic moves : the space between curbs : roadway
d. : a vehicular way for local traffic: as
(1) : a private way
(2) : one that is unpaved
(3) : one located in a rural area
e. : street , avenue — used especially in arterial street names
4.
a. : a route followed on a journey : way , path
get out of my road
knew that the Arkansas river, with its tributaries … was the road to the southwest — American Guide Series: Arkansas
b. : the course or route to an end, conclusion, or circumstance
the path of promotion lay through the schools rather than along the road of military service — R.W.Southern
5. : public highways
take to the road
6. : railroad , railway
7. : gangway 4
8. : the places and routes frequented on a tour (as of a theatrical troupe or a sports team)
community theater attempted to fill the need which the professional road either failed to meet or failed to find — W.C.Glackin
•
- for the road
- on the road
- over the road
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
1. of a dog : to track (a game bird) by the foot scent
2. : to put or drive onto or carry on a road
III. noun
•
- down the road