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🌊 A water channel ⚓ A Civil War battle
Hampton Roads

Hampton Roads

2 6.5
A wide channel and its nearby cities in southeastern Virginia where the Elizabeth and James Rivers flow into Chesapeake Bay
  • proper noun
  • /ˈhæmp.tən roʊdz/
translation icon : Hampton Roads
  • Born in Hampton Roads, Virginia, Showtime was the product of a single-parent home and was raised by his mother.

Examples

  • In Hampton Roads, salinities are above 15%, and the most damaging predator is the Atlantic oyster drill.

    Academic text (1996)

  • Ahead of the storm, the commander of United States Fleet Forces ordered all Navy ships in the Hampton Roads area to prepare for a sortie as Hurricane Sandy traveled up the East Coast.

    Blog text (28)

  • I like living in Hampton Roads.

    Blog text (2)

  • We in the Hampton Roads area are in the "transitional grass zone."

    Blog text (28)

  • Hampton Roads is a part of Southeastern Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina.

    Blog text (2)

  • Yorktown, Williamsburg, Gloucester, Cape Charles, Elizabeth City, Currituck, Sussex, and Poquoson are a part of Hampton Roads as well.

    Blog text (2)

  • There are many new developments planned in Hampton Roads to accommodate the growing population.

  • The annual festival celebrates the rich history and culture of the Hampton Roads region.

  • As a major naval center, Hampton Roads plays a crucial role in the United States military operations.

Surface Forms

Hampton Roads main

Morphology

Hampton + roads

This is a toponym: a proper name for a specific place/event, so its historical meaning cannot be derived from the parts. 'Hampton' is just a place-name (not semantically informative) and 'roads' in the nautical sense (roadstead) is rare and not the everyday meaning 'streets', so a B1 learner knowing the constituent words would not predict the place/battle meaning.

Etymology

Hampton Roads gets its name from the town Hampton and the old use of roads for a 'wide, calm area of water' where ships could wait. Because this safe channel helped ports and towns grow, today Hampton Roads means the large shipping channel and the surrounding metro region.