A road is a prepared path for vehicles and people to travel along, usually made of dirt, gravel, or pavement. Roads connect places like cities, towns, and neighborhoods.
From Old English *rad* “riding, journey on horseback,” related to *ridan* “to ride.” It shifted from meaning the act of riding to the path used for travel.
Originally, a “road” was the ride itself, not the surface under your feet. Only later did English freeze the motion into a noun for the path, while *ride* kept the action.
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