Fosse Way

See also: fosseway

English

Etymology

From Latin fossa (“ditch”).

Proper noun

Fosse Way

1. An ancient Roman road in England, which stretched from Lincoln to Axminster, and possibly further to Exeter, many parts of which have been developed into modern roads.
   • 1959 June, J. F. Oxley, D. R. Smith, “The Nottingham-Kettering line of the L.M.R.”, in Trains Illustrated, pages 319–320:

     Just beyond Widmerpool the railway crosses the Roman Fosse Way on the skew. In The Midland Railway: Its Rise and Progress Frederick S. Williams wrote in 1877 that "in reverence to the past, the Midland acquiesced in the matter of a skew bridge, so that the lengthy straight course of the Fosse Way should not be disturbed". Present-day motorists traversing this road at 60-70 m.p.h. should be grateful for the Midland's indulgence.

Further reading

• “Fosse Way, pn.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.