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 of turnpike

• highway
• road
• freeway
• thoroughfare
• expressway
• street
• route
• roadway
• carriageway
• boulevard

Examples of turnpike in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

The plane hit a light pole on the turnpike in its final descent into Newark Airport. —Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 5 June 2026

The debris from the light pole then hit a tractor-trailer driving on the turnpike, leading the driver to sustain minor injuries. —Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026

The jet crossed over the turnpike at 19 feet above the ground. —Russell Lewis, NPR, 4 June 2026

Since the early 1960s, her drawings, watercolors, acrylics, and collages have run like scenic byways along the whooshing turnpike of contemporary art. —Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 2 June 2026

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.