Word
turnpike
Phoneticsturn·pike
US/ˈtɝnˌpaɪk/
UK/tˈɜːnpaɪk/
Definition
n. a large road that you must pay a fee to drive on. These roads are usually built for faster travel between cities.
n. a high-speed highway, especially one maintained by tolls. Historically, the term referred to a barrier or gate across a road that prevented passage until a fee was paid.
Examples
“We took the turnpike to reach the city faster.”
“The state government increased the toll on the turnpike to fund the construction of new bridges.”
“While the turnpike offers a more direct route for commercial freight, many local commuters prefer the scenic backroads to avoid the daily expense of highway fees.”
Examples
simple
“We took the turnpike to reach the city faster.”
contextual
“The state government increased the toll on the turnpike to fund the construction of new bridges.”
complex
“While the turnpike offers a more direct route for commercial freight, many local commuters prefer the scenic backroads to avoid the daily expense of highway fees.”
Usage
Primarily used in American English; in British English, 'motorway' or 'toll road' is more common.
Etymology
From Middle English turnpyke (“spiked barrier across a road”), originally used to block access to such a road until a toll was paid. Equivalent to modern turn + pike (“shaft”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domains
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/turnpike