Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A main road or public highway.
  • noun A place of passage from one location to another.
  • noun Right to such passage.
  • noun A heavily traveled passage, such as a waterway, strait, or channel.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun That through which one goes; a place of travel or passage.
  • noun Specifically— A place through which much traffic passes.
  • noun A road for public use; a highway; a public street, unobstructed and open at both ends.
  • noun A strait of water, or a neck of land connecting two bodies of water, habitually traversed by wild fowl in migrating or passing to and from their feeding-grounds.
  • noun Passage; travel; transit.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A passage through; a passage from one street or opening to another; an unobstructed way open to the public; a public road; hence, a frequented street.
  • noun rare A passing or going through; passage.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A passage; a way through.
  • noun A road open at both ends or connecting one area with another; a highway or main street.
  • noun obsolete The act of going through; passage; travel, transit.
  • noun An unobstructed waterway allowing passage for ships.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a public road from one place to another

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English thurghfare : thurgh, thorow, through; see thorough + fare, road (from Old English faru, fær, from faran, to go; see fare).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Middle English thurghfare, corresponding to through +‎ fare. Compare Old English þurhfaran ("to go through, go over, traverse, pierce, pass through, pass beyond, transcend, penetrate"). Compare also Old English þurhfær ("inner secret place"), German Durchfahrt ("passage through, thoroughfare").

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Examples

  • The main thoroughfare to the cemetary was lined with local people selling bread, peanuts, ice cream and flowers along with the impromptu "porch cafes" which remain as simple homes except for this one night only.

    D�a de Muertos vs. Halloween? 2009

  • The main thoroughfare to the cemetary was lined with local people selling bread, peanuts, ice cream and flowers along with the impromptu "porch cafes" which remain as simple homes except for this one night only.

    D�a de Muertos vs. Halloween? 2009

  • The main thoroughfare to the cemetary was lined with local people selling bread, peanuts, ice cream and flowers along with the impromptu "porch cafes" which remain as simple homes except for this one night only.

    D�a de Muertos vs. Halloween? 2009

  • The main thoroughfare to the cemetary was lined with local people selling bread, peanuts, ice cream and flowers along with the impromptu "porch cafes" which remain as simple homes except for this one night only.

    D�a de Muertos vs. Halloween? 2009

  • Walking south down 16th Street, vendors lined the main thoroughfare with Obama-faced trinkets.

    Women Grow Business » The Opportunity Antenna: Inauguration Business Taught a Lesson 2009

  • The main thoroughfare to the cemetary was lined with local people selling bread, peanuts, ice cream and flowers along with the impromptu "porch cafes" which remain as simple homes except for this one night only.

    D�a de Muertos vs. Halloween? 2009

  • The main thoroughfare to the cemetary was lined with local people selling bread, peanuts, ice cream and flowers along with the impromptu "porch cafes" which remain as simple homes except for this one night only.

    D�a de Muertos vs. Halloween? 2009

  • The main thoroughfare to the cemetary was lined with local people selling bread, peanuts, ice cream and flowers along with the impromptu "porch cafes" which remain as simple homes except for this one night only.

    D�a de Muertos vs. Halloween? 2009

  • The main thoroughfare to the cemetary was lined with local people selling bread, peanuts, ice cream and flowers along with the impromptu "porch cafes" which remain as simple homes except for this one night only.

    D�a de Muertos vs. Halloween? 2009

  • The main thoroughfare to the cemetary was lined with local people selling bread, peanuts, ice cream and flowers along with the impromptu "porch cafes" which remain as simple homes except for this one night only.

    D�a de Muertos vs. Halloween? 2009

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