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STREET
street
(noun) a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings; “they walked the streets of the small town”; “he lives on Nassau Street”
street
(noun) the part of a thoroughfare between the sidewalks; the part of the thoroughfare on which vehicles travel; “be careful crossing the street”
street
(noun) people living or working on the same street; “the whole street protested the absence of street lights”
street
(noun) a situation offering opportunities; “he worked both sides of the street”; “cooperation is a two-way street”
street
(noun) the streets of a city viewed as a depressed environment in which there is poverty and crime and prostitution and dereliction; “she tried to keep her children off the street”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
street (plural streets)
A paved part of road, usually in a village or a town.
A road as above but including the sidewalks (pavements) and buildings.
The people who live in such a road, as a neighborhood.
The people who spend a great deal of time on the street in urban areas, especially, the young, the poor, the unemployed, and those engaged in illegal activities.
An illicit or contraband source, especially of drugs.
(slang) Streetwise slang.
(figuratively) A great distance.
(poker slang) Each of the three opportunities that players have to bet, after the flop, turn and river.
(attributive) Living in the streets.
(urban toponymy) By restriction, the streets that run perpendicular to avenues.
Usage notes
• In the generic sense of "a road", the term is often used interchangeably with road, avenue, and other similar terms.
^ In the English language, in its narrow usage street specifically means a paved route within a settlement (generally city or town), reflecting the etymology, while a road is a route between two settlements. Further, in many American cities laid out on a grid (notably Manhattan, New York City) streets are contrasted with avenues and run perpendicular to each other, with avenues frequently wider and longer than streets.
• In the sense of "a road", the prepositions in and on have distinct meanings when used with street, with "on the street" having idiomatic meaning in some dialects. In general for thoroughfares, "in" means "within the bounds of", while "on" means "on the surface of, especially traveling or lying", used relatively interchangeably ("don’t step in the road without looking", "I met her when walking on the road").
• By contrast, "living on the street" means to be living an insecure life, often homeless or a criminal. Further, to "hear something on the street" means to learn through rumor, also phrased as "word on the street is...".
Hyponyms
• back street
• civvy street
• easy street
• high street
• main street
• man on the street
• one-way street
• side street
• two-way street
(proper and other capitalized nouns form using street (noun) (also figuratively)):
• Baker Street
• Bay Street
• Bow Street
• Downing Street
• Fenchurch Street
• Fleet Street
• Harley Street
• K Street
• Lombard Street
• Main Street
• Oakle Street
• Queer Street
• Sole Street
• Threadneedle Street
• Wall Street
• Weavering Street
• See also street
Adjective
street (comparative more street, superlative most street)
(slang) Having street cred; conforming to modern urban trends.
Verb
street (third-person singular simple present streets, present participle streeting, simple past and past participle streeted)
To build or equip with streets.
To eject; to throw onto the streets.
(sports, by extension) To heavily defeat.
To go on sale.
(Japanese Mormonism) To proselytize in public.
Anagrams
• Setter, Tester, Teters, retest, setter, tester
Proper noun
Street
A surname.
A town in Somerset, England.
Anagrams
• Setter, Tester, Teters, retest, setter, tester
Source: Wiktionary
Street, n. Etym: [OE. strete, AS. str, fr. L. strata (sc. via) a paved way, properly fem. p.p. of sternere, stratum, to spread; akin to E. strew. See Strew, and cf. Stratum, Stray, v. & a.]
Definition: Originally, a paved way or road; a public highway; now commonly, a thoroughfare in a city or village, bordered by dwellings or business houses. He removed [the body of] Amasa from the street unto the field. Coverdale. At home or through the high street passing. Milton.
Note: In an extended sense, street designates besides the roadway, the walks, houses, shops, etc., which border the thoroughfare. His deserted mansion in Duke Street. Macaulay. The street (Broker's Cant), that thoroughfare of a city where the leading bankers and brokers do business; also, figuratively, those who do business there; as, the street would not take the bonds.
– Street Arab, Street broker, etc. See under Arab, Broker, etc.
– Street door, a door which opens upon a street, or is nearest the street.
Syn.
– See Way.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
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