Emily Dickinson Lexicon

ROAD, n. [Sax. rad, rade, a ride, a passing or traveling or horseback, a way, a road, corresponding with the G. reise, D. reis, Dan. rejse, Sw. resa; but in the sense of a place for anchoring ships, the Fr. has rade, Sp. rada, G. and D. reede, Sw. redd, Dan. rede, reed. In the sense of way, the Spanish has rauta, W. rhawd, all connected with ride, W. rhedu, to run, and L. gradior, W. rhodiaw, to walk or go. The Slavonic has brud, and the Bohemian brod, a way. See Grade.]

1. An open way or public passage; ground appropriated for travel, forming a communication between one city, town, or place and another. The word is generally applied to highways, and as a generic term it includes highway, street and lane. The military roads of the Romans were paved with stone, or formed of gravel or pebbles, and some of them remain to this day entire.
2. A place where ships may ride at anchor at some distance from the shore; sometimes called roadstead, that is, a place, for riding, meaning at anchor.
3. A journey. – Milton. [Not used, but we still use ride as a noun; as, a long ride; a short ride; the same word differently written.]
4. An inroad; incursion of an enemy. [Not in use.] – Shak. On the road, passing; traveling. – Law.