autobahn

noun

au·​to·​bahn ˈȯ-tō-ˌbän  ˈau̇- 

: a German, Swiss, or Austrian expressway

Examples of autobahn in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That’s a two-hour commute that makes the 405 from L.A. to San Diego seem like the German autobahn. —Jon Becker, The Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2024

Volkswagen shut down assembly lines churning out its popular Golf hatchbacks and converted the factory, which has its own exit on the autobahn, to make six electric models. —Jack Ewing, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024

These are high-speed autobahn maneuvers—testing can occur at speeds up to 122 mph (200 km/h). —Roberto Baldwin, Ars Technica, 26 July 2023

The traffic makes rush hour in Los Angeles seem like the autobahn. —Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2023

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German Autobahn, from Auto auto entry 1 + Bahn "path, way, lane," going back to Middle High German ban, bane "cleared path, track," akin to Middle Low German & Middle Dutch bāne in same sense, of uncertain origin

Note: The Germanic etymon represented by Bahn is perhaps akin to Old High German bano "killer, murderer," Old English bana, etc. (see bane entry 1), if both descend from a verb meaning "strike, beat down." See Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Band 1, pp. 460-61.

First Known Use

1934, in the meaning defined above