cattle guard

Thân thiện

A truck drives over a cattle guard on a country road.

Definition

Noun: A cattle guard is a structure installed across a road or entrance, consisting of a grid of parallel metal bars or pipes spaced apart. It is designed to create a barrier that livestock, such as cattle or sheep, are unwilling or unable to walk across, while allowing vehicles and pedestrians to pass over it freely. It functions as a gate-free barrier to contain animals within a defined area.

Usage

A cattle guard is used in rural and agricultural settings, typically at property boundaries, fence lines, or where a road crosses a grazing area. Its purpose is to allow the uninterrupted flow of traffic without the need for people to stop and open or close a gate.

Examples

• The rancher installed a cattle guard at the entrance to the pasture so he wouldn't have to get out of his truck to open the gate.
• Please drive slowly over the cattle guard; the bumps can be rough on your vehicle's suspension.
• The effectiveness of a cattle guard relies on the animals' instinctive fear of the unstable footing the gaps create.

Advanced Usage

• "To be cattle guard-proof": (Informal) Used to describe an animal that is not deterred by a standard cattle guard, often because it has learned to walk across it or jump over it.
  • That old bull is practically cattle guard-proof; we'll need to install a proper gate.

Variants and Related Words

• Cattle grid (noun): A common synonym, especially in British English.
• Texas gate (noun): A regional term used primarily in Canada and the northwestern United States.
• Vehicle pass (noun): A more general term.

Synonyms

• Cattle grid
• Texas gate (regional)
• Stock grid

Antonyms

• Gate
• Fence opening

Related Phrases/Concepts

• "The principle of the cattle guard": Refers to the concept of creating a psychological or physical barrier through perceived risk or discomfort, rather than a solid wall. This concept is sometimes used metaphorically in design or security.
  • The software uses a verification step as a cattle guard against accidental data deletion.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a bridge over a ditch consisting of parallel metal bars that allow pedestrians and vehicles to pass, but not cattle

Từ đồng nghĩa

• cattle grid