road

noun

1. A way used for travelling between places, originally one wide enough to allow foot passengers and horses to travel, now (US) usually one surfaced with asphalt or concrete and designed to accommodate many vehicles travelling in both directions. In the UK both senses are heard: a country road is the same as a country lane.

   “In the lightness of my heart I sang catches of songs as my horse gayly bore me along the well-remembered road.”

   “I stumbled along through the young pines and huckleberry bushes. Pretty soon I struck into a sort of path that, I cal'lated, might lead to the road I was hunting for.”

   “And the road doesn't end / It's a long, long road and we follow it again and again / And the road don't pretend”

2. (uncountable)Roads in general as a means of travel, especially by motor vehicle.

   “We travelled to the seaside by road.”

3. (dated)A physical way or route.

   “He stirred up his hair with his sprightliest expression, glanced at the little figure again, said ‘Good evening, ma ‘am; don’t come down, Mrs Affery, I know the road to the door,’ and steamed out.”

   “Hetty and Mrs. Piper watched them with a lynx-eyed understanding and before the ancient was well upon his road his way was blocked by Hetty.”

4. (figuratively)A path chosen, as in life or career.

   “the road to happiness; the road to success.”

   “Where, then, is the road to peace?”

   “Hodgson may actually feel England could have scored even more but this was the perfect first step on the road to Rio in 2014 and the ideal platform for the second qualifier against Ukraine at Wembley on Tuesday.”

5. An underground tunnel in a mine.
6. (US, archaic)A railroad.
7. (UK, US)A single railroad track (railway track).

   “The new depot, on which work started in May, 1956, has three reception roads leading to 13 sidings capable of taking 25 trains, a 450 ft.-long car examination shed with nine roads, a lifting shop with two roads and three permanent way sidings.”

8. (obsolete)The act of riding on horseback.
9. (obsolete)A hostile ride against a particular area; a raid.
10. (plural-normally)A partly sheltered area of water near a shore in which vessels may ride at anchor; a roadstead.

    “Antonio: Sweet lady, you have given me life and living; / For here I read for certain that my ships / Are safely come to road.”

    “There delivering their fraught, they went to Scandaroone; rather to view what ships was in the Roade, than any thing else […].”

11. (obsolete)A journey, or stage of a journey.

    “At last, with easy roads, he came to Leicester; / Lodg'd in the abbey, where the reverend abbot, / With all his convent, honourably receiv'd him; […]”

12. A hard, flat pitch, typically favourable for batters.

adj

1. (Canada, US, attributive, not-comparable)At the venue of the opposing team or competitor; on the road.
2. (not-comparable)Of or pertaining to a road bike.

   “road tires”

   “road groupset”