interstate highway
11
3.2
- noun
- /ˈɪntərˌsteɪt ˈhaɪweɪ/
- US
:
autopista interestatal (EE. UU.)
- Forty-two units are currently being installed on a new 18-mile stretch of Interstate highway in Southern California.
- interstate highway system
- interstate highway miles
Maybe the Rozzy people know, you know why Eisenhower created the Interstate Highway System?
- Maybe the Rozzy people know, you know why Eisenhower created the Interstate Highway System?
Examples
-
Driving on any interstate highway in the U.S. today, one can observe people texting while driving.
Academic text (2013) -
Counties without large central places or access to interstate highways continued to lose population.
Academic text (1991) -
In addition, Chicago has more main line interstate highways going through it than any other American city.
Blog text (30) -
The reason they call them "interstate" highways is because they run between states.
Blog text (18) -
An estimated one in six vehicles on the region's interstate highways are trucks.
Blog text (30) -
Infrastructure investments in our interstate highway system or our railroads reduce transaction costs in the economy.
Blog text (24) -
To reach Louisville that night, he uncharacteristically stuck to Interstate highways because the distance was long and daylight was growing short.
Academic text (2006) -
Massachusetts has 3,213 miles of interstate highway, and Interstate 93 takes up 1.9% of the state's interstate inventory.
Academic text (2016) -
The new interstate highway connects major cities across several states.
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Traveling along the interstate highway, we stopped at various rest areas.
Synonyms
629
1.0
A main road that connects big towns or cities for long trips
275
2.2
A wide road for fast traffic with no intersections or traffic lights
106
3.0
A major road that connects large cities in different states
43
2.8
A wide road for fast traffic with few places to enter or exit
9
1.8
A wide road built for fast traffic with two or more lanes each way and few exits
5
4.1
A wide road for fast traffic with few places to enter or leave
1
6.7
A main road that connects cities or towns
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a major road linking states' is directly and transparently composed from 'interstate' (between or involving states) + 'highway' (a long-distance road). This is a regular adjective+noun combination that follows standard English composition patterns and has clear cross-linguistic parallels, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
The term interstate highway comes from two words: interstate (meaning 'between states') and highway (a 'main road'). The picture of a long road that goes from one state to another explains why it means a major road linking states and cities.