Redbridge

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A local government district in the northeast of Greater London, centred on the town of Ilford
2. An outer London borough in the northeastern part of the capital, with Ilford as its main town
3. A borough of northeast Greater London administered from Ilford and including Woodford among its areas

Etymology: Redbridge is a London borough, and its name is a compound of two English words, "red" and "bridge," or possibly "reed" and "bridge." The second possibility matters, because the name seems to have been applied to a crossing over a river where reeds grew thickly along the banks, making the bridge's surroundings or its materials a natural point of reference. Which of the two words lies behind the name is the open question, and the source leaves the choice between them unresolved. Either way, the construction is plain: a place-name formed by joining a descriptive word to "bridge," the common Old English-derived term for a structure carrying a path across water. Many English place-names follow this pattern, pairing a colour, plant or landmark with a crossing, so the name tells a traveller what to look for at a particular spot on the road or river.