road

noun

1 (C, U) a specially prepared hard surface for cars, buses, bicycles etc to travel on: a busy road | at the end of the road | up/down/along the road (=further along the road): We live just down the road. | by road (=driving): It takes three hours by road. | main road: Take the main road out of town and turn left at the first light. | side road (=a small road that is not used much) | dirt road especially AmE (=a road without a hard surface) | road accident/repairs/user etc: He was killed in a road accident. | road sense (=knowledge about how to behave sensibly near traffic): Kids of that age have no road sense. | road safety (=how to be safe when driving or walking on roads): a road safety campaign

—see street

2 Road written abbreviation Rd used in addresses after the names of roads: 65 Maple Road

3 on the road

a) travelling in a car, especially for long distances: I've been on the road since 5:00 a.m. this morning.

b) if a group of actors or musicians is on the road they are travelling from place to place giving performances

c) if your car is on the road, you have paid for the repairs, tax etc necessary for you to legally drive it: It costs a lot of money to keep these old cars on the road.

4 on the road to success/recovery/peace etc developing in a way that will result in success etc: It was this deal that set him on the road to his first million.

5 go down a road informal to follow a particular course of action: You could move your pension to a private scheme, but I wouldn't advise going down that road.

6 one for the road spoken a last alcoholic drink before you leave a party, pub etc

7 get out of the road! BrE spoken a rude way of telling someone to move

—see also: the end of the road end 1 (18), hit the road hit 1 (16)