roadstern.
/ˈrəʊdstə/, U.S. /ˈroʊdstər/ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > vessel with reference to qualities or attributes > [noun] > with reference to behaviour at sea > that lies well or ill at anchor
roadera1584
roadster1744
1744 London Mag. 557 They were stiff Ships,..good Sailors, and good Roadsters.
1799 Vocab. Sea Phrases II. 281 Our ship is a good sea-boat, but a very bad roadster.
1815 W. Burney Falconer's New Universal Dict. Marine (rev. ed.) at Roader Roadsters should attentively observe to anchor at a competent distance from each other.
1867 W. H. Smyth & E. Belcher Sailor's Word-bk. Roadster, applied chiefly to those vessels which work by tides, and seek some known road to await turn of tide or chance of wind.
2.
a. A horse that is suitable for riding, pulling a carriage, etc., on roads. In later use: this as a class of horse, typically teamed with a light cart and raced or shown competitively. Frequently attributive.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > mammals > group Ungulata (hoofed) > family Equidae (general equines) > horse defined by purpose used for > [noun] > for riding > in particular place (miscellaneous) > on the road
road horse1735
roadsterc1760
roader1824
c1760 R. Wall Diss. Breeding Horses 10 Procuring good and beautiful horses of any sort whatever, whether racers, hunters, coachers, or even roadsters.
1791 W. Taplin Gentleman's Stable Directory II. 349 It includes carriage horses of every kind, roadsters and hacks, whether of gentlemen, tradesmen, or travellers (commonly called riders).
1817 W. Scott Rob Roy I. iii. 65 Your horse..has too little bone to be a good roadster.
1844 H. Stephens Bk. of Farm II. 216 A roadster is required to carry him over the farm when it is of large extent.
1856 Brit. Farmer's Mag. 29 484/1 The sum of £200 to be awarded as extra prizes for thorough-bred, hunting, and roadster horses.
1882 C. E. L. Riddell Prince of Wales's Garden-party 275 Almost every man..came either in his own gig, or riding his own stout roadster.
1908 L. H. Bailey Cycl. Amer. Agric. III. 420/2 The roadster is a light driving horse, developed from the American trotter.
1974 Greenville (S. Carolina) News 23 Apr. 11/2 Thursday's performances have two Roadster pony classes.
1994 Today's Horse May 24/3 Three and Five-gaited horses, hackneys, roadsters and fine harness horses add variety to every evening performance.
b. A bicycle designed or suitable for use on roads. Also more fully roadster bicycle, roadster cycle, etc.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > means of travel > a conveyance > vehicle > vehicle propelled by feet > [noun] > cycle > bicycle > other types of bicycle
forty-four1821
roadster1875
rear-steerer1882
pneumatic1890
path-racer1896
featherweight1901
free-wheeler1908
fairy cycle1920
superbike1935
sit-up-and-beg1939
bakfiets1956
high-riser1965
all-terrain cycle1970
chopper1971
mountain bike1972
shopper1973
mixte1975
BMX1978
cruiser1978
ojek1983
boda boda1995
e-bike1998
fixie2001
ghost bike2004
1875 ‘Stonehenge’ Man. Brit. Rural Sports (ed. 12) iii.734/2 For every additional inch of diameter in the driving wheel the weight of a roadster bicycle should increase at least one pound.
1877 Bicycle Jrnl. 23 Nov. 9/2 (advt.) First-class bicycles, strong roadsters.
1883 Knowledge 18 May 290/2 The weight of a roadster bicycle.
1896 Daily Tel. 10 Feb. 5/4 Hunt picked out a smart pneumatic-tyred roadster.
1922 J. Joyce Ulysses iii. 667 Roadster cycle with side basketcar attached.
1978 R. Watson & M. Gray Penguin Bk. Bicycle ii. 61 The old ‘roadster’ used flat bars with the grips parallel with the bike.
1996 Cycle Touring & Campaigning Apr.–May 8/2 He re-emerged moments later with a brand new Dutch-style roadster bike.
c. U.S. A light horse-drawn carriage. Now historical.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > means of travel > a conveyance > vehicle > cart, carriage, or wagon > carriage for conveying persons > [noun] > types of carriage > light carriage
wheelbarrow1631
chaise1701
chair1753
kittereen1831
roadster1892
1892 Hist. Rev. Industr. & Commerc. Growth York County 68 The former [repository and office] carries a fine line of..everything in light and heavy work from the most substantial farm truck to the lightest finished roadster.
1901 Dial. Notes 2 146 I went to a farmer near and hired a young horse and a roadster.
1921 F. M. Todd Story Expos. San Francisco 1915 IV. xlv. 246 There was a large and very fine exhibit of roadsters, runabouts, surreys, broughams,..and other vehicles meant to be drawn by the deliberate, domesticated horse.
2009 Los Angeles Times (Nexis) 14 Feb. f3 [He] boasted of..a summer house, a blooming jacaranda, a carriage and a one-horse roadster.
d. Originally U.S. A type of sporty open-top car with two seats.Some earlier models also featured a dicky or rumble seat.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > means of travel > a conveyance > vehicle > powered vehicle > motor car > [noun] > open car > type of
roadster1902
1902 McClure's Mag. Aug. 314/2 When [in 1893] I came into possession of my first machine—a Pougeot [sic] roadster.
1938 G. Greene Brighton Rock vi. ii. 249 Where did you bring a swell blonde to if not the Cosmopolitan,..driving over the down in a scarlet roadster.
1973 D. Lees Rape of Quiet Town ii. 33 It was lucky I left my purse in your roadster.
2001 Car & Driver Dec. 34/1 (caption) The Fiesta will henceforth include..hatchback sedans, a five-door wagon, and a two-seat roadster.
3.
a. A person who uses roads; a traveller. Formerly also: a driver of a horse-drawn carriage, a coachman. Now rare.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > aspects of travel > traveller > [noun] > by road
wayferendeOE
wayfaring manOE
way-goera1382
wayferer1388
dustyfoota1400
wayfarerc1430
thorough-farer1628
roadster1834
road-farer1845
pathfarer1880
roadman1906
1834 Johnstone's Edinb. Mag. Apr. 481 (heading) Recollections of a roadster.
1841 S. C. Hall & A. M. Hall Ireland I. 72 Old roadsters, in long heavy grey or blue frieze coats.
1866 Daily Tel. 8 June 5/3 Old roadsters eat and drink whenever and wherever they can.
1919 C. A. Babcock Venango County, Pennsylvania I. vi. 70/2 The road supervisors of the townships, and all roadsters generally.
2005 Austin (Texas) Amer.-Statesman (Nexis) 9 Dec. d1 Bicycles aren't the only form of two-wheel transport that have enamored Austin roadsters.
b. Originally U.S. A person with no permanent place of residence who makes a living from travelling from place to place doing odd jobs, accepting charitable donations, etc.; a tramp, a hobo.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > aspects of travel > travel from place to place > [noun] > without fixed aim or wandering > vagrancy or vagabondage > vagabond or tramp
harlot?c1225
raikera1400
vacabond1404
vagrant1444
gangrela1450
briber?c1475
palliard1484
vagabondc1485
rogue1489
wavenger1493
hermit1495
gaberlunzie1508
knight of the field1508
loiterer1530
straggler1530
runagate1534
ruffler1535
hedge-creeper1548
Abraham man1567
cursitor1567
runner1567
walker1567
tinker1575
traveller1598
Tartar1602
stravagant1606
wagand1614
Circumcellion1623
meechera1625
hedge-bird1631
gaberlunzie man1649
tramp1664
stroller1681
jockey1685
bird of passage1717
randy1724
tramper1760
stalko1804
vagabondager1813
rintherout1814
piker1838
pikey1838
beachcomber1840
roadster1851
vagabondizer1860
roustabout1862
bum1864
migratory1866
potter1867
sundowner1868
vag1868
walkabout1872
transient1877
Murrumbidgee whaler1878
rouster1882
run-the-hedge1882
whaler1883
shaughraun1884
heather-cat1886
hobo1889
tussocker1889
gay cat1893
overlander1898
stake-man1899
stiff1899
bindle-stiff1900
dingbat1902
stew-bum1902
tired Tim (also Timothy)1906
skipper1925
Strandlooper1927
knight of the road1928
hobohemian1936
plain turkey1955
scrub turkey1955
derro1963
jakey1988
crusty1990
1851 G. Borrow Lavengro III. xxii. 267 ‘Shall I speak in the language of the roads?’. ‘If no roadster is nigh you may,’ said I, ‘and I will do my best to understand you.’
1890 N. P. Langford Vigilante Days II. vi. 92 Henry Plummer was chief of the band;..Cyrus Skinner, fence, spy, and roadster.
1896 Pop. Sci. Jrnl. 50 255 The roadster proper is distinguished from the tramp by having..a visible means of support.
1925 G. H. Mullin Adventures Scholar Tramp iv. 56 The roadsters, or hobos who travel, are seldom without smoking or chewing tobacco.
1974 ‘J. Ross’ Burning of Billy Toober iv. 35 The body was probably that of a roadster using the shed to sleep in.
1996 Church Times 30 Aug. 9/1 Spouses..are often alone in the house when roadsters, drug addicts and mentally ill persons and others appear at the door requesting help.
4. Hunting. A rider who keeps to the roads during a hunt. Now rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > hunting > hunter > [noun] > hunter on horseback
workman1832
bruiser1833
roadster1858
craner1863
gap-hunter1872
thruster1886
funkstick1889
1858 R. S. Surtees Ask Mamma lxv Taking a run he presently landed in the next field, amidst the cheers of the roadsters.
1869 ‘W. Bradwood’ The O.V.H. I. xii. 219 ‘Here come all the roadsters!’ growled the latter, as the hounds..crossed a bye-road—along which in the rear clattered some fifty macadamisers.
1898 J. B. Wollocombe From Morn till Eve i. 6 Henry and I on looking back find..a long train of roadsters behind us.
1904 W. E. Norris Nigel's Vocation xiv. 167 There was a time when I used to despise the roadsters, but I have lived to join them.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2010; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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n.1744