inroad
UK /ˈɪnɹəʊd/ · US /ˈɪnˌɹoʊd/ noun, verb, proper noun
Forms inroads inroading inroaded
- noun (military, also figuratively) An advance into enemy territory, an attempted invasion; an encroachment, an incursion.
- noun (figuratively, usually in the plural) Often followed by in, into, or on: initial progress made toward accomplishing a goal or solving a problem. “Three weeks into it, I am finally beginning to make inroads on this project.”
- verb (intransitive, archaic) To make advances or incursions.
- verb (transitive, obsolete) To make an inroad into (something).
- proper noun A barangay of Aurora, Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines.
Synonyms
Etymology
The noun is derived from in + road (“(obsolete) act of riding on horseback; hostile ride against a particular area, raid”).
The verb is derived from the noun.
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “inroad”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details