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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But in 1909, the city began to widen the roadbed at the expense of the sidewalks. Sam Schwartz, New York Daily News, 22 July 2025 At a Liberty facility in Concord, a suburb of Charlotte in North Carolina, NASCAR racing tires are shredded into quarter-sized chips that can be used as aggregate in roadbeds, landfill liners and landscaping products. Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2025 The mined and blasted rock will be sold for roadbed construction and would leave a hole in the ground large enough to store nearly 40 billion gallons of Lake Okeechobee overflow. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 21 May 2025 The ship struck the bottom side of the roadbed portion of the Brooklyn Bridge, officials with the New York Police Department (NYPD) told Fox News. Flags and debris from the ship plummeted into the water below, as the vessel rocked back and forth, pushing its way under the landmark. Alexandra Koch , Alexis McAdams , Cb Cotton , Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for roadbed

Word History

First Known Use

1828, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of roadbed was in 1828

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Cite this Entry

“Roadbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roadbed. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

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

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