southbound
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Pronunciation
- /ˈsaʊθbaʊnd/[1]
Etymology
It is formed from English south + bound,[2][3][4] the second part being the adjective meaning going or heading towards a place,[3] which goes back to Middle English boun (“ready to go”).[3]
Earliest recorded meaning
Heading or travelling southwards: 1850, in D. Millar's Tay.[2] Merriam-Webster gives 1655 as its first known use, while Etymonline dates it to 1872 and Dictionary.com to 1880–85.[5][3][4]
Semantic evolution
According to Etymonline the word was first used in railroading, of trains travelling south.[3] From 1881 it also described roads or lanes intended for traffic going south, from 1891 it was used as an adverb, and in American English from 1903 it was a noun for a southbound train.[2]
Timeline
- 1850 – heading or travelling south.[2]
- 1881 – of a road or lane, for traffic going south.[2]
- 1891 – adverb, towards the south.[2]
- 1903 – noun, a southbound train, in O. Henry (US).[2]
Meanings
Adjective
- Travelling or heading towards the south: The southbound bus was delayed by snow.[6][5][2]
- Of a road or lane: used by traffic going south.[2][6]
Adverb
- Towards the south.[2]
Noun
- (US) A train travelling south.[2]
Related words
- southward
- eastbound
- northbound
- westbound
References
- ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
- ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
- ^ a b Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
- ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
- ^ a b Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins