Sidewalks

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A constructed path intended for pedestrians that runs parallel to the roadway to facilitate walking without vehicular interruption
2. A paved or concrete pathway next to a street, designed for people to walk safely away from vehicle traffic
3. A walkway running along the edge of a road, providing a separate space for foot travel

Etymology: Sidewalks is simply the plural of "sidewalk," so the story is really the story of its two halves. "Side" traces back through Old English "sīde" and a Proto-Germanic root meaning the flank or edge of the body, a sense that survives in phrases like "at my side." "Walk" comes from Old English "wealcan" and carries the idea of moving on foot, the same ancestry behind the verb you use every day. Put together, the compound describes a path running along the flank of a road, a lateral edge set aside for people on foot. The word is a plain English compound built from these two native elements, with no borrowing from another language involved, so its meaning stays close to its parts.

Synonyms: pavements, walkways, paths, streets, driveways