roadbed

[ rohd-bed ]

noun

1. Railroads.
   1. the bed or foundation structure for the track of a railroad.
   2. the layer of ballast immediately beneath the ties of a railroad track.
2. the material of which a road is composed.

roadbed

/ ˈrəʊdˌbɛd /

noun

1. the material used to make a road
2. a layer of ballast that supports the sleepers of a railway track

Word History and Origins

Origin of roadbed¹

1830–40. Americanism; road + bed

Example Sentences

Hunter’s Field is wedged directly beneath the elevated roadbeds of the Claiborne Expressway section of Interstate 10 in the city’s 7th Ward.

From Salon

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Anglo settlers took over the land and razed the shell mound to line roadbeds in Berkeley with shells.

From Seattle Times

With crews still working to clear debris from under the freeway, the wooden structure that will support the roadbed around the damaged columns is already being constructed.

From Los Angeles Times

“For residents, it’s less curb space, less sidewalk space, less roadbed space, less space to get up and down the block, less quiet, less emergency access, it’s just less,” he said.

From Seattle Times

The city was already developed, and space was so scarce that First Hill residents held a protest march in 1961 against plans to carve a roadbed through their neighborhood.

From Seattle Times