esplanade

[ es-pluh-nahd, -neyd, es-pluh-nahd, -neyd ]

noun

1. any open, level space, especially one serving for public walks or drives.

esplanade

/ -ˈnɑːd; ˌɛspləˈneɪd /

noun

1. a long open level stretch of ground for walking along, esp beside the seashore Compare promenade
2. an open area in front of a fortified place, in which attackers are exposed to the defenders' fire

Word History and Origins

Origin of esplanade¹

1675–85; < French < Italian spianata, noun use of feminine past participle of spianare < Latin explānāre to level; -ade ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of esplanade¹

C17: from French, from Old Italian spianata, from spianare to make level, from Latin explānāre; see explain

Example Sentences

In Timor-Leste, the Pope will officiate mass in the capital Dili, on the same seaside esplanade where John Paul II spoke in 1989 to comfort local Catholics who suffered under Indonesia's occupation of the territory.

From BBC

Amanda Kay, who was staying in the hotel on the main esplanade in Cairns, described seeing a helicopter flying "extra low", without lights in rainy weather.

From BBC

People crossing the bridge can catch cycling and triathlon events, or look down to watch swimming events in the Seine River, before walking over toward a grassy esplanade which leads to Les Invalides.

From Seattle Times

For one hour either side of high water, very minor impact flooding is expected to affect some seafront roads, esplanades and car parks across the island.

From BBC

Throughout the late-19th and early-20th centuries, Universal Expositions on this site produced extraordinary, short-lived cities consisting of pavilions, palaces, houses, monuments, fountains, bridges, paths, and grand esplanades.

From New York Times