roadside

roadside — noun

1. the narrow strip of ground beside a road, often covered with grass or gravel

1.nounA2
Definition

the narrow strip of ground beside a road, often covered with grass or gravel

Example

Gabriel pulled over to the roadside after his car engine started smoking.

collocation: pull over to the roadside

Bright yellow flowers grew along the roadside near Mira's village.

preposition: along the roadside

Common collocations
  • pull over to the roadside
  • along the roadside
  • by the roadside
  • roadside stall / stand / vendor
  • roadside bomb
  • roadside assistance
  • roadside memorial
Synonyms
  • verge

    British English, specifically the grassy strip at the edge of a road

  • shoulder

    American English, especially the paved strip on a highway where cars can pull off

  • wayside

    more literary or old-fashioned, often in the phrase 'by the wayside'

Usage Note

Often used as a compound modifier before a noun, e.g. roadside stall, roadside assistance, roadside bomb. In American English the paved strip at the edge of a highway is usually called the shoulder rather than the roadside.

Common Mistakes

They stopped at the road side to check the map.
They stopped at the roadside to check the map.
Roadside is written as one word.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Roadside is the most general term for the strip of ground at the edge of any road. Verge is used in British English for the grassy strip beside a road, often with a distinct border, while shoulder is the American term for the paved area on a highway where vehicles can pull off in an emergency. Wayside is restricted to literary or old-fashioned contexts, typically in fixed phrases like 'fall by the wayside.' For everyday use, roadside works in all varieties of English, regardless of whether the surface is grass or pavement. Example: 'A deer stood on the roadside near the forest' (general); 'He parked on the hard shoulder' (UK highway); 'The grass on the verge needs mowing' (UK country road).

roadside ↗verge ↗shoulder ↗wayside

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • pull over to the roadside
  • park on the roadside
  • grow along the roadside

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Roadside is a compound of road and side. Road comes from Old English rad, meaning 'a riding expedition' or 'a journey on horseback,' which later shifted to refer to the strip of land used for travel. Side comes from Old English side, meaning 'the flank or long part of something.' The compound roadside has been used since the 1600s to describe the strip of ground at the edge of a travelled way.