viaduct
UK /ˈvaɪədʌkt/ · US /ˈvaɪəˌdʌk(t)/ noun
Forms viaducts
- noun (transport) A bridge with several spans that carries rail or road traffic over a valley or other obstacles.
Etymology
Coined in 1816, from Latin via (“highway; road”) + English -duct, on the basis of aqueduct.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A structure of considerable magnitude, usually with arches or supported on trestles, for carrying a road, as a railroad, high above the ground or water; a bridge; especially, one for crossing a valley or a gorge. Cf. Trestlework.
Etymology [L. via a way + -duct, as in aqueduct: cf. F. viaduc. See Via, and Aqueduct.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “viaduct”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details