ENGLISH
REFERENCE

boulevard

n.
US //ˈbʊɫəˌvɑɹd// UK //bˈuːlɪvˌɑːd// boule·vard
  1. 1 a wide street (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a wide, beautiful street in a city, usually with trees on both sides.

    a broad urban thoroughfare, typically landscaped with trees or a central median.

    Example

    We took a long walk down the boulevard to look at the shop windows.

    Example

    The city's main boulevard is lined with historic plane trees that provide welcome shade for pedestrians during the peak of summer.

  2. 2 the grass strip (n.)
    C1 Advanced American English Dialect

    the small strip of grass or land between a sidewalk and the street.

    the grassy or landscaped area situated between a roadway and a pedestrian sidewalk.

    Example

    The city asks homeowners to keep the grass on the boulevard neatly mowed.

    Example

    Local ordinances often dictate that while the city owns the boulevard, the adjacent property owner is responsible for its basic maintenance.

    Usage

    This sense is highly regional; in some areas, it is called a 'verge' or 'parking'.

Origin

Borrowed from French boulevard, from Middle French boulevard, bollevart, boulevars, bolevers, bollewerc (“rampart”), from Middle High German bolewerc, bolwerc (modern German Bollwerk) or Middle Dutch bolwerk (“bulwark, bastion”). Doublet of bulwark; more at bole, work.

Word family
  • Nounblvd
  • Nounboulevard

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