road agent (rod a"jent)

One who collects dues from travelers on private roads; hence, jocosely, a highwayman. [Slang, western U. S.] A band of concealed marauders or road agents, whose purpose was to preserve their haunts from intrusion. When loaded, this scraper can be moved any distance with its burden and then tilted over to discharge it. A road scraper mounted on wheels is a road - machine. roadside (rod'sīd), n. and a. I. n. The side of a road; border of a road; footpath; wayside. By the roadside fell and perished, Weary with the march of life! Long fellow, Footsteps of Angels. II. a . Situated by the side of a road. The coach pulls up at a little road - side inn with huge Bret Harte , A Ghost of the Sierras (Argonauts, p. 386). stables behind. T. Hughes, Tom Brown at Rugby, i. 4. road-bed (rōd'bed), n. 1. The bed or found a roadsman (rōdz'man), n . Same as roadman. tion on which the superstructure of a railway We have had roadsmen for many weeks gravelling the rests.-2. The whole material laid in place front and thoroughly repairing the old road. and ready for traffic in ordinary roads. Carlyle , in Froude, II. road-book (rōd'bük), n. A travelers' guide roadstead (rōd's ted), n. [Formerly also road book of towns, distances, etc. Simmonds, sted ; road + -stead .] Same as road , 5. marueiled roadstead how she was able to abide it. Our barke did ride such a road sted that it was to be Hakluyt's Voyages , I. 276. road-steamer (rōd'stē"mėr), n . A locomotive with broad wheels suitable for running on common roads. roadster (rõdʻstėr), n. [ The brown mare was as good a roadster as man might back. Barham , In golds by Legends, I. 129. 2. A person much accustomed to driving; a coach-driver. I... entered into conversation with Walter, the "whip," a veteran roadster. Kimball , St. Leger, I. 7. 3. In hunting , one who keeps to the road instead of riding acro country. [Slang.] favoured. Once in a way the roadsters and shirkers are distinctly The Field , April 4, 1885. ( Encyc . Dict .) 4. A tricycle or bicycle built strongly for road use, as distinguished from one intended for racing.-5. Naut . , a ve el which works by tides, and seeks some known road to await turn of tide and change of wind. Also roader . Ad miral Smyth . [Eng.] A light convey road-sulky (rōd's ul"ki), n. ance, which can accommodate only one person (whence the name). Also called sulky . road-surveyor (rōd'sėr-vā"or), n . A person who supervises roads and sees to their being kept in good order. roadway (rod'wā), n. [ Thou art a ble ed fellow to think as every man thinks: never a man's thought in the world keeps the road - way better than thine. Shak ., 2 Hen. IV., ii. 2. 63. Such a path as I doubt not ye will agree with me to be much fairer and more delight full than the rode way I was in. Milton , Apology for Smectymnuus. "My caution has misled me," he continued, pausing thoughtfully when he was left alone in the roadway . W. Collins , The Yellow Mask, ii. 3. A plant of the genus road weed (rōd'wēd), n. Plant a go. Plant a go major, minor, and lanceolata, called plantains, or road - weeds, are among the commonest of our weeds on roadsides, in meadows, and all undisturbed ground where the soil is not very light. Henfrey, Elem. Botany. ( Latham.) road-work (rōd'wėrk), n. Work done in the making of roads. 5200 roam (rom), n. [ The boundle space, through which these rovers take Their restle roam , suggests the sister thought Of boundle time. roaring [ romere , romare , roamer (ro'mėr), n . rowmer ; roam + -er1 .] One who roams; a rover; a rambler; a vagrant. Ac now is Religioun a ryder, a rowmer bi stretes, A priker on a palfray fro manere to manere. Piers Plowman (B), x. 306. roan1 (ron), a. and n. [Early mod. E. also roen; IMG:content-2378.png:[blocks in formation] [Prov. Eng.] [ME. ronyd ; perhaps for roin + -ed2.] Scabbed; A ronyd colte. Bury Wills (ed. Tymms), p. 132. ( Skeat.) [He] had euer more pitty on one good paced mare then two roaned curtal les. Breton , Merry Wonders, p. 6. ( Davies .) roanoke, roenoke (rō-a-nok', rō-e-nōk'), n. roadworthy (rōd'wer"Thi), a . Fit for the road; [Amer. Ind.] A kind of shell-money formerly likely to go well: applied to horses. used by the Indians in New England and Virginia. See the quotation, and compare peag . They have also another sort [of money] which is as current among them, but of far le value; and this is made of the Cockle shell, broke into small bits with rough edges, drill'd through in the same manner as Beads; and this they call Roenoke , and use it as the Peak. IMG:content-2379.png:[blocks in formation] roam (rom), v. [Also dial. rome, ramble, rame, ream, raum, raum, reach after; He rometh to the car pen teres hous, And stille he stant under the shot wyndow. Chaucer, Miller's Tale, 1. 508. IMG:content-2380.png:[blocks in formation] Shak ., 1 Hen. VI., iii. 1. 51. 2. To wander; ramble; rove; walk or move about from place to place without any certain purpose or direction. Ac he may renne in arrerage, and rowme so fro home, And as a reneyed caityf recchelesly gon aboute. Piers Plowman (B), xi. 125. Up and down and side and slant they roamed . M. Arnold , Balder Dead. =Syn. 2. Rove, Wander, etc. See ramble. II. trans. To range; wander over: as, to roam the woods. My imagination would conjure up all that I had heard or read of the watery world beneath me; of the finny herds that roam its fathomle valleys. Irving, Sketch-Book, p. 19. IMG:content-2381.png:[blocks in formation] A branch of the roan - tree is still considered good against evil influences in the Highlands of Scotland and Wales. Sir T. Dick Lauder. roapy, a. See ropy. roar (ror), v. [Early mod. E. rore; IMG:content-2382.png:[blocks in formation] Burd Ellen and Young Tamlane (Child's Ballads, I. 272). 3. To make a loud, continued, confused sound, as winds, waves, a multitude of people shout- ing together, etc.; give out a full, deep sound; resound. Whan it was day he broghte him to the halle, That roreth of the crying and the soun. Th' Atlantic billows roared. Cowper , The Castaway. Down all the rocks the torrents roar , O'er the black waves ince ant driven. faw. The gallant roares; roarers drinke oathes and gall. Dekker, Londons Tempe. 6. To make a loud noise in breathing, as horses in a specific disease. See roaring, n., 2. Cox's most roomy fly, the mouldy green one, in which he insists on putting the roaring gray horse. Thackeray , Sketches, etc., in London, A Night's Pleasure, i =Syn. 1 and 2. To bawl, howl, yell.-3. To boom, resound, thunder, peal. II. trans. To cry aloud; proclaim with loud noise; utter in a roar; shout: as, to roar out one's name. And that engenders thunder in his breast, And makes him roar these accusations forth. Shak., 1 Hen. VI., iii. 1. 40. IMG:content-2383.png:[blocks in formation] Shak . , Tempest, ii. 1. 315. The great creature [a mastiff] does nothing but stand still and roar - yes, roar; along, serious, remonstrative roar. Dr. J. Brown , Rab. 2. A loud, continued, confused sound; a clamor; tumult; uproar. Why nyl I make at ones riche and pore To have ynough to done or that she go? Why nyl I brynge al Troie upon a rore ?