road (roads plural )
1 n-count A road is a long piece of hard ground which is built between two places so that people can drive or ride easily from one place to the other.
oft in names, also by N
There was very little traffic on the roads..., We just go straight up the Bristol Road..., Buses carry 30 per cent of those travelling by road..., ...road accidents...
2 n-count The roadto a particular result is the means of achieving it or the process of achieving it.
usu sing, N to n
We are bound to see some ups and downs along the road to recovery.
3 If you hit the road, you set out on a journey.
INFORMAL
hit the road phrase V inflects
I was relieved to get back in the car and hit the road again.
4 If you are on the road, you are going on a long journey or a series of journeys by road.
on the road phrase usu v-link PHR
He hoped to get a new truck and go back on the road.
5 If you say that someone is on the roadto something, you mean that they are likely to achieve it.
on the road phrase usu PHR after v, PHR to n
The government took another step on the road to political reform.
6 →
the end of the road →
end
access road (access roads plural )An access road is a road which enables traffic to reach a particular place or area. n-count
...the access road to the airport.
A-road (A-roads plural )In some countries, an A-road is a major road. A-roads are narrower than motorways but are wider and straighter than B-roads. n-count
back road (back roads plural )A back road is a small country road with very little traffic. n-count
B-road (B-roads plural ), B road A B-road is a minor road.
(BRIT) n-count
high road
1 n-count A high road is a main road.
(BRIT) usu sing
in AM, use highway
2 n-sing If you say that someone is taking thehigh road in a situation, you mean that they are taking the most positive and careful course of action.
(mainly AM) usu the N
US diplomats say the president is likely to take the high road in his statements about trade.
main road (main roads plural )A main road is an important road that leads from one town or city to another. n-count
Webb turned off the main road and drove round to the car park.
middle-of-the-road
1 adj If you describe someone's opinions or policies as middle-of-the-road, you mean that they are neither left-wing nor right-wing, and not at all extreme.
Consensus need not be weak, nor need it result in middle-of-the-road policies.
2 adj If you describe something or someone as middle-of-the-road, you mean that they are ordinary or unexciting.
I actually don't want to be a middle-of-the-road person, married with a mortgage.
3 adj Middle-of-the-road music is pop music which a large number of people like because it is pleasant and does not sound extreme or unusual. The abbreviation MOR is also used.
I like cheerful, uplifting middle-of-the-road pop.
off-road vehicle (off-road vehicles plural )An off-road vehicle is a vehicle that is designed to travel over rough ground. n-count
ring road (ring roads plural )A ring road is a road that goes round the edge of a town so that traffic does not have to go through the town centre.
(mainly BRIT) n-count
in AM, usually use beltway
road manager (road managers plural )The road manager of someone such as a singer or sports player is the person who organizes their travel and other arrangements during a tour. n-count oft poss N
road map (road maps plural )
1 n-count A road map is a map which shows the roads in a particular area in detail.
2 n-count A road map of something is a detailed account of it, often intended to help people use or understand it.
The idea was to create a comprehensive road map of the Web.
road pricing
Road pricing is a system of making drivers pay money for driving on certain roads by electronically recording the movement of vehicles on those roads.
(BRIT) n-uncount
road rage
Road rage is anger or violent behaviour caused by someone else's bad driving or the stress of being in heavy traffic. n-uncount oft N n
...a road rage attack on a male motorist...
road tax
In Britain, road tax is a tax paid every year by the owners of every motor vehicle which is being used on the roads. n-uncount
side road (side roads plural )A side road is a road which leads off a busier, more important road. n-count
slip road (slip roads plural )A slip road is a road which cars use to drive on and off a motorway.
(BRIT) n-count
in AM, use entrance ramp, exit ramp
trunk road (trunk roads plural )A trunk road is a major road that has been specially built for travelling long distances. A trunk road is not as wide or as fast as a motorway.
(BRIT) n-count
