high street
compound.compound. the main street in a town or city where you find the most important shops and businesses.
compound. the primary commercial thoroughfare of a town or city, typically serving as the focal point for retail and business activity.
Most shops on the high street open at nine.
We spent the afternoon walking down the high street looking for a new winter coat.
The decline of the traditional high street has been accelerated by the rise of e-commerce and changing consumer habits across the country.
From Middle English high strete, highestrete, haye-strete, hye strete, heiȝe strete, from Old English hēahstrǣt (“high road”), equivalent to high + street.
primarily British English; the American equivalent is 'Main Street'.
use this to teach British culture and urban geography; it is often used as a metonym for the retail sector in general.
the main streetthe high streetwhile 'main street' is understandable, 'high street' is the specific fixed term used in British English for this concept.