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Meaning & use

HOV lane

noun·EverydayAmerican

Last updated

UK/ˌeɪtʃ əʊ ˈviː leɪn/
US/ˌeɪtʃ oʊ ˈviː leɪn/

Meaning

  1. nouncountableAmerican

    A road lane reserved for vehicles carrying two or more people, intended to reduce traffic.

    Grammar: Countable: in the HOV lane.

    Patterns

    • in the HOV lane
    • use the HOV lane

    We took the HOV lane because there were three of us in the car.

    The HOV lane moved faster than the rest of the highway.

    You can be fined for using the HOV lane alone.

Word forms

pluralHOV lanes

Common combinations

drive in the HOV lane
We drive in the HOV lane to work.
use the HOV lane
Only carpools may use the HOV lane.
HOV lane violation
He got a ticket for an HOV lane violation.
HOV lane hours
HOV lane hours are 6 to 9 a.m.
enter the HOV lane
You can only enter the HOV lane at marked gaps.

Synonyms and how they differ

carpool lane
Carpool lane is the everyday American name for the same lane.
diamond lane
Diamond lane is older and informal, named for the diamond marking.
bus lane
Bus lane is for buses and not general carpools.

Opposites

general-purpose lane

Word family

HOV abbreviation
high-occupancy vehicle
carpool noun
an arrangement to share car trips
lane noun
a strip of road for one line of traffic

Commonly confused: HOV lane or HOT lane?

HOV lane vs HOT lane

A HOT lane is a high-occupancy toll lane that solo drivers may use by paying.

Practice

You may drive in an HOV lane when your car has ___.

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