roadbed

noun

road·​bed ˈrōd-ˌbed How to pronounce roadbed (audio)
1
a
: the bed on which the ties, rails, and ballast of a railroad rest
b
: the ballast or the upper surface of the ballast on which the ties rest
2
a
: the earth foundation of a road prepared for surfacing
b
: the part of the surface of a road traveled by vehicles

Examples of roadbed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Those that are approved and pay a fee for a four-year license ($1,050) for either a roadbed or sidewalk enclosure have 30 days to remove their temporary structures or outfit them to comply with the city’s rules. Florence Fabricant, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024 The slash piles that covered the old roadbed—fir and spruce saplings that Cahill had plucked like daisies with the Cat’s claw—would provide shade and cover for future grasses, wildflowers and shrubs. Ben Goldfarb, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Feb. 2024 The project included reconstructing the existing roadbed, adding culverts for drainage under the 500-foot roadbed and laying down roughly 200 yards of concrete on top of it. Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024 Another lasted about ten seconds before its pasta roadbed and pasta trusses gave up the pasta ghost. Jeffrey Kluger, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019 Magnesium chloride was occasionally applied to the roadbed to bind the materials. Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024 The open curved arches beneath the roadbed soar above the wild creek. Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 4 Jan. 2024 Roads cut off streams and bleed sediment; meanwhile, floods often erode roadbeds into muddy gullies. WIRED, 23 Dec. 2023 Williams's bridge took the classic truss-bridge form, but Miller had fashioned a more modernistic creation: cables of spaghetti radiated from the center of the roadbed and attached to a half-meter-high arch overhead. Jeffrey Kluger, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'roadbed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1828, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of roadbed was in 1828

Dictionary Entries Near roadbed

Cite this Entry

“Roadbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roadbed. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

roadbed

noun
road·​bed -ˌbed How to pronounce roadbed (audio)
1
: the foundation of a road or railroad
2
: the part of the surface of a road that vehicles travel on

More from Merriam-Webster on roadbed

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