carrefour
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: 1. A place where two or more roads meet and cross; a crossroads or intersection. This is the primary and most common meaning. It refers to the physical point where roads intersect, often forming a four-way junction.
Usage
- The word "carrefour" is a formal term, less common in everyday American English than "intersection" or "crossroads." It is more frequently encountered in British English or in formal, literary, or historical contexts.
- It specifically denotes the area or point of crossing itself.
Examples
- The ancient city was built around a central carrefour where the main trade routes met.
- The accident occurred at a busy carrefour near the city center.
- Standing at the carrefour, he was unsure which path to take.
Advanced Usage
- Figurative Use: In literature or formal speech, "carrefour" can be used metaphorically to describe a critical point of decision, meeting, or convergence between different ideas, cultures, or paths in life.
- The conference served as a carrefour for scientists from diverse fields.
- Her twenties were a carrefour, a time of choosing between career and family.
Variants and Related Words
- Crossroad(s) (noun): A more common synonym, often used interchangeably. "Crossroads" can also have the same figurative meaning as "carrefour."
- Intersection (noun): The standard, neutral term for a place where roads cross.
- Junction (noun): A broader term for a place where roads or railway lines meet.
- Crossing (noun): Can refer to a place where a road and a railway line cross, or a pedestrian crossing.
Synonyms
- Intersection
- Crossroad(s)
- Junction
- Crossing
Antonyms
- Straightaway
- Cul-de-sac
- Dead end
Idioms and Phrases
- At a carrefour: Being at a point of decision or intersection (figurative).
- The company is at a carrefour; it must choose between innovation and tradition.
Noun
- a junction where one street or road crosses another