Word Confusion: Road vs Rode vs Rowed

Plural for the noun: roads

Plural for the noun: rides
Gerund: riding

Third person present verb: rides
Past tense: rode
Past participle: ridden, rid [Archaic] Present participle: riding

Plural for the noun: rows
Gerund: rowing

Third person present verb: rows
Past tense and past participle: rowed
Present participle: rowing

• The part of such a way intended for vehicles, especially in contrast to a shoulder or sidewalk
• [With modifier; historical] A regular trade route for a particular commodity:
• [Mining] An underground passage or gallery in a mine
• A railroad
• [British] A railroad track, especially as clear (or otherwise) for a train to proceed

A series of events or a course of action that will lead to a particular outcome

• A particular course or direction taken or followed

[Usually roads; often in place names] Another term for roadstead

Verb, intransitive:
[Of a woodcock] Fly on a regular circuit in the evening as a territorial display, making sharp calls and grunts ²

Sit on and control the movement of an animal, especially a horse, typically as a recreation or sport ³

• Travel on a horse or other animal
• [ride in, ride on] Travel in or on (a vehicle) as a passenger
• [Of a vehicle, animal, etc.] Be of a particular character for riding on or in
• [Informal] Transport someone in a vehicle

Be carried or supported by something with a great deal of momentum

• Project or overlap
• [Of a vessel] Sail or float

Verb, transitive:
Sit on and control the movement of an animal, especially a horse, typically as a recreation or sport ³

• Sit on and control a bicycle or motorcycle for recreation or as a means of transport
• Travel in (a vehicle) or on (a public transport system) as a passenger
• Go through or over an area on horseback, a bicycle, etc.
• Compete in a race on horseback or on a bicycle or motorcycle
• [Informal] Transport someone in a vehicle

Be carried or supported by something with a great deal of momentum

[Be ridden] Be full of or dominated by

Yield to a blow so as to reduce its impact

[Vulgar slang] Have sexual intercourse with

Annoy, pester, or tease

• A line of seats in a theater
• A street with a continuous line of houses along one or both of its sides, especially when specifying houses of a particular type or function
• A horizontal line of entries in a table
• A complete line of stitches in knitting or crochet

[In singular noun] A period of rowing ²

A noisy acrimonious quarrel ³

• A serious dispute
• A loud noise or uproar

Verb, intransitive:
Travel by propelling a boat in this way ²

Engage in the sport of rowing, especially competitively

Have a quarrel ³

Verb, transitive:
Propel a boat with oars ²

• Convey a passenger in a boat by propelling it with oars

Marco Polo traversed the Silk Road across Asia to the West when he returned.

They’re building a railroad just south of here.

They waited for a clear road at Hellifield Junction.

He’s well on the road to recovery.

Boston Roads is a book that relates the histories of Boston roads, lists their exits, and includes state and county route listings, and information on unbuilt highways.

Hit the road, Jack.

Damn, it’s the end of the road for us.

One for the road, barkeep.

It was a road to nowhere for Helen.

There’s nothing for me here, so I’ll be takin’ to the road.

Don’t you have a road map with you?

Damn road hog!

Well, they do say that all roads lead to Rome.

The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.

Five rodes hold the trap in place.

The punt was fitted with a little cuddy at the front, the rode was always coiled here.

Verb, intransitive:
We rode on horseback.

Some of the officers rode back.

I rode on the buses.

The van rode as well as some cars of twice the price.

When the two lithospheric plates collided, one rode over the other.

A large cedar barque rode at anchor.

The moon rode high in the sky.

Verb, transitive:
He rode a Harley Davidson across the U.S.

She rode the bus across 42nd Street.

He rode the full length of the Ridgeway.

I rode a good race.

The taxi driver who rode Kelly into the airport not long ago.

A stream of young surfers fighting the elements rode the waves.

The fund rode the growth boom in the 1980s.

Harrison drew back his jaw and rode the blow.

She rode him hard and put him away wet.

The parents rode us for not giving all the kids a chance to play.

The photograph shows a row of civilians walking between men in uniform.

Future additions will include a row of shops along the south side.

They sat in the front row.

That’s fraternity row.

An entire row of entries is missing.

Knit three rows, then reduce.

It was a hard row to the shore.

They had a row and she stormed out of the house.

The director is at the center of a row over policy decisions.

If he’s at home he must have heard that row.

Verb, intransitive:
We rowed down the river all day.

He rowed for Yale.

He rowed across a river.

They rowed about who would receive the money from the sale.

Verb, transitive:
Out in the bay, a small figure was rowing a rubber dinghy.

Her father was rowing her across the lake.

You rowed a good race.

He rowed the Atlantic.

It’s of Germanic origin and related to the verb ride.

1. Early 17th century, of unknown origin.
2. Mid-18th century, in the sense of fly landward in the evening is of unknown origin.
3. Old English rīdan is of Germanic origin and related to the Dutch rijden and the German reiten.

1. Old English rāw, is of Germanic origin and related to the Dutch rij and the German Reihe.
2. Old English rōwan is of Germanic origin and related to rudder, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin remus meaning oar, the Greek eretmon meaning oar.
3. Mid-18th century, of unknown origin.