autobahn

See also: Autobahn

English

Etymology

Borrowed from German Autobahn.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈaʊ̯toˌbɑːn/

Noun

autobahn (plural autobahns or autobahnen)

1. The high-speed intercity highways of Germany and Austria.
   • 2009 January 22, Nicholas Kulish, “Soccer Titan Raises Profile of Tiny Village”, in New York Times‎^[1]:

     On a recent afternoon a work crew and crane were affixing the tall lettering to the side of the team’s new stadium, just off the autobahn in Sinsheim, a few miles from Hoffenheim.

2. By analogy, any wide, high-speed road.
   • 2016, Justin O. Schmidt, The Sting of the Wild, Johns Hopkins University Press, →ISBN, page 112:

     These ant autobahns function much the same as human highways to speed transport of goods and to reduce bumps and potholes in the path.

Derived terms

• Infobahn