Meaning & use
bridleway
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Meaning
nouncountableBritish
A path in the countryside that people may legally use on foot, on horseback or on a bicycle, but not in a car.
Grammar: Has a regular plural: several bridleways cross the moor.
Patterns
- along the bridleway
- ride on a bridleway
We followed a bridleway across the fields to the village.
The bridleway is open to walkers, riders and cyclists.
A sign at the gate marked the start of the bridleway.
Word forms
| plural | bridleways |
|---|
Common combinations
- public bridleway
- The public bridleway runs along the river.
- follow a bridleway
- Follow the bridleway until you reach the church.
- ride along a bridleway
- They ride along a bridleway every Saturday.
- bridleway sign
- The bridleway sign was hidden by hedges.
Synonyms and how they differ
- bridle path
- Bridle path is almost identical and more common in American English, while bridleway is the official British term.
- footpath
- A footpath is for walkers only, whereas a bridleway also allows horses and bikes.
- track
- Track is a general word for any rough path, with no legal meaning about who may use it.
- trail
- Trail is the usual American word for a path for walking or riding and does not name who may use it.
Word family
- bridle noun
- the straps on a horse's head
- bridle path noun
- a similar track for horse riders
- footpath noun
- a path for walkers
Commonly confused: bridleway or byway?
bridleway vs byway
A byway is a minor public road or track that may also be open to vehicles, while a bridleway is only for walkers, riders and cyclists.
Practice
On the map, the line marked as a bridleway shows a path where you may legally ___.
Choose one answer.
A bridleway allows walkers, horse riders and cyclists. Lorries and cars are not allowed, and planes are unrelated.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “bridleway”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.