road

n. [ AS. rād a riding, that on which one rides or travels, a road, fr. rīdan to ride. See Ride, and cf. Raid. ] 1. A journey, or stage of a journey. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

With easy roads he came to Leicester. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An inroad; an invasion; a raid. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A place where one may ride; an open way or public passage for vehicles, persons, and animals; a track for travel, forming a means of communication between one city, town, or place, and another. [ 1913 Webster ]

The most villainous house in all the London road. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The word is generally applied to highways, and as a generic term it includes highway, street, and lane. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. [ Possibly akin to Icel. reiði the rigging of a ship, E. ready. ] A place where ships may ride at anchor at some distance from the shore; a roadstead; -- often in the plural; as, Hampton Roads. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Now strike your saile, ye jolly mariners,
For we be come unto a quiet rode [ road ]. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

On the road, or
Uponthe road, traveling or passing over a road; coming or going; traveling; on the way. [ 1913 Webster ] My hat and wig will soon be here,
They are upon the road. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ] --
Road agent, a highwayman, especially on the stage routes of the unsettled western parts of the United States; -- a humorous euphemism. [ Western U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ] The highway robber -- road agent he is quaintly called. The century. [ 1913 Webster ] --
Road book, a guidebook in respect to roads and distances. --
road kill See roadkill in the vocabulary. --
Road metal, the broken, stone used in macadamizing roads. --
Road roller, a heavy roller, or combinations of rollers, for making earth, macadam, or concrete roads smooth and compact. -- often driven by steam. --
Road runner (Zool.), the chaparral cock. --
Road steamer, a locomotive engine adapted to running on common roads. --
To go on the road, to engage in the business of a commercial traveler. [ Colloq. ] --
To take the road, to begin or engage in traveling. --
To take to the road, to engage in robbery upon the highways. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Way; highway; street; lane; pathway; route; passage; course. See Way. [ 1913 Webster ]