chaussée

roadway

noun shoh-SEH Rare

Origin: Medieval Latin 'via calciata' (paved road)

Also means

causeway

Usage Note

Chaussée refers specifically to the paved surface of a road or street — the part vehicles travel on, as opposed to the trottoir (pavement/sidewalk). It also appears in the phrase rez-de-chaussée (ground floor), literally 'level of the roadway'. Historical usage includes raised causeways over marshland.

Examples

"Ralentissez, la chaussée est glissante."

Natural Translation

Slow down, the roadway is slippery.

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