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.
The most villainous house in all the London road.
Shak.
The word is generally applied to highways, and as a generic term it
includes highway, street, and lane.
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.
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Now strike your saile, ye jolly mariners, For we be come unto a
quiet rode [road].
Spenser.
On, or Upon, the road, traveling or passing over a road; coming or
going; on the way.
My hat and wig will soon be here, They are upon the road.
Cowper.
-- Road agent, a highwayman, especially on the stage routes of the
unsettled western parts of the United States; -- a humorous euphemism.
[Western U.S.]
The highway robber -- road agent he is quaintly called.
The century.
-- Road book, a guidebook in respect to roads and distances. -- 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 (Zoöl.), 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.
Syn. -- Way; highway; street; lane; pathway; route; passage; course.
See Way.
Road"bed` (?), n. In railroads, the bed or foundation on which the
superstructure (ties, rails, etc.) rests; in common roads, the whole
material laid in place and ready for travel.
Road"less, a. Destitute of roads.
Road"mak`er (?), n. One who makes roads.
Road"side`, n. Land adjoining a road or highway; the part of a road or
highway that borders the traveled part. Also used ajectively.
Road"stead (?), n. [Road, 4 + stead a place.] An anchorage off shore.
Same as Road, 4.
Moored in the neighboring roadstead.
Longfellow.
Road"ster (?), n. 1. (Naut.) A clumsy vessel that works its way from
one anchorage to another by means of the tides. Ham. Nav. Encyc.
2. A horse that is accustomed to traveling on the high road, or is
suitable for use on ordinary roads.
A sound, swift, well-fed hunter and roadster.
Thackeray.
3. A bicycle or tricycle adapted for common roads rather than for the
racing track.