boulevard

[ bool-uh-vahrd, boo-luh- ]

noun

1. a broad avenue in a city, usually having areas at the sides or center for trees, grass, or flowers.
2. Also called boulevard strip. Upper Midwest. a strip of lawn between a sidewalk and the curb.

boulevard

/ ˈbuːlvɑː; -vɑːd /

noun

1. 1. a wide usually tree-lined road in a city, often used as a promenade
   2. ( capital as part of a street name )

      Sunset Boulevard

2. 1. a grass strip between the pavement and road
   2. the strip of ground between the edge of a private property and the road
   3. the centre strip of a road dividing traffic travelling in different directions

Word History and Origins

Origin of boulevard¹

First recorded in 1765–75; from French, Middle French (originally Picard, Walloon ): “rampart, avenue built on the site of a razed rampart,” from Middle Dutch bol(le)werc; bulwark

Word History and Origins

Origin of boulevard¹

C18: from French, from Middle Dutch bolwerc bulwark ; so called because originally often built on the ruins of an old rampart

Synonym Study

See street.

Example Sentences

The canal next to the boulevard leading to her apartment floods.

From Time

Streets throughout the city were transformed into cafe-lined boulevards as countless restaurants rustled up outdoor arrangements, whether elaborate patios or makeshift dining sheds and yurts.

From Eater

A line of anti-vaccination protesters in referee outfits lined part of the boulevard toward the main intersection.

From Washington Post

The 60-foot monument is the oldest and largest of the five Confederate figures that gave Monument Avenue, the grandest boulevard in the state capital, its name.

From Washington Post

The red zone in its center remains largely shuttered, though the state redrew the map Friday to shrink the area by half, to about four square miles, following a major residential boulevard for dozens of blocks.

From Washington Post

“On the whole I kind of quite like my films without watching them every night like Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard,” he said.

From The Daily Beast

The Boulevard Carnot, the seedy, downtrodden street that leads out of town, proved the point on my last night there.

From The Daily Beast

Glenn Close returns to Broadway for the first time since her star turn as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard 20 years ago.

From The Daily Beast

I saw the Scarface with Paul Muni on Sunset Boulevard at the… whatever the name of that theater is, the Tiffany.

From The Daily Beast

A mischievous cross between Sunset Boulevard and Adult Swim, BoJack Horseman boasts an exciting cast of supporting characters.

From The Daily Beast

Of course you did not hear anything about her when you searched up and down the boulevard the other day?

From Project Gutenberg

They climbed into the car and Chapman drove out the boulevard and turned into the Parkville road.

From Project Gutenberg

When the automobile shot into Bonwit Boulevard and headed toward Roselawn the first flash of lightning made the girls jump.

From Project Gutenberg

At the top of the boulevard there was a barrow of flowers drawn up alongside the kerb.

From Project Gutenberg

They found a garage and a good automobile, and spent an hour or two out on the ocean boulevard.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• artery
• avenue
• highway
• thoroughfare