turnpike

noun

turn·​pike ˈtərn-ˌpīk 

1

a(1)

: a road (such as an expressway) for the use of which tolls are collected

(2)

: a road formerly maintained as a turnpike

b

: a main road

especially : a paved highway with a rounded surface

2

: tollgate

Synonyms

• arterial
• artery
• avenue
• boulevard
• carriageway [British]
• drag
• drive
• expressway
• freeway
• high road
• highway
• pass
• pike
• road
• roadway
• route
• row
• street
• thoroughfare
• thruway
• trace
• way

Examples of turnpike in a Sentence

the turnpike was jammed with people heading south for the long weekend

Recent Examples on the Web

Harper and his work crew were patching the turnpike with the right lane closed when he was hit, the West Virginia Department of Transportation said in a news release. —Natalie Demaree, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2025

Motorists who drive on the turnpike and don’t already have a DriveKS account will be contacted by mail about how to pay tolls online. —Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2025

The crash caused heavy traffic delays in the northbound lanes of the turnpike through the morning. —David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2025

Successful examples include the design, financing, construction, and maintenance of turnpikes (Austin, Texas), monorails (Las Vegas, Nevada), and light-rail transits (St. Paul, Minnesota, and Hudson-Bergen, New Jersey). —Gary Hufbauer, Foreign Affairs, 2 Nov. 2011

Word History

Etymology

Middle English turnepike revolving frame bearing spikes and serving as a barrier, from turnen to turn + pike

First Known Use

1662, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for turnpike

• alike
• belike
• birdlike
• catlike
• childlike
• christlike
• deathlike
• dislike
• dreamlike
• friedreich
• godlike
• hairlike

Kids Definition

turnpike

noun

turn·​pike ˈtərn-ˌpīk 

1

: a road one must pay to use

2

: a main road

Etymology

Middle English turnepike "a turning frame bearing spikes that is used as a barrier," from turnen "to turn" and pike "a pointed weapon"

Word Origin

In the Middle Ages, a spiked barrier would sometimes be placed on a road or bridge to protect against sudden attack. The barrier would have to be turned to allow passage. The Middle English word for such a barrier was turnepike. This word was formed from the verb turnen, meaning "to turn," and the noun pike, meaning "a sharp-tipped weapon." With a slight change in spelling, turnpike later came to be used as the word for a simple gate placed across a road. In order to pass through the turnpike, travelers would have to pay a fee or toll. A road on which these tollgates were found was called a turnpike road. Such a road in time became known simply as a turnpike.