Usage notes

In the generical sense of "a road", the term is often used interchangeably with road, avenue, and other similar terms. In the English language, in its narrow usage street specifically means a paved route within a settlement (generally city or town), reflecting the etymology, while a road is a route between two settlements. Further, in many American cities laid out on a grid (notably Manhattan, New York City) streets are contrasted with avenues and run perpendicular to each other, with avenues frequently wider and longer than streets. In the sense of "a road", the prepositions in and on have distinct meanings when used with street, with "on the street" having idiomatic meaning in some dialects. In general for thoroughfares, "in" means "within the bounds of", while "on" means "on the surface of, especially traveling or lying", used relatively interchangeably ("don’t step in the road without looking", "I met her when walking on the road"). By contrast, "living on the street" means to be living an insecure life, often homeless or a criminal. Further, to "hear something on the street" means to learn through rumor, also phrased as "word on the street is...".