Telford

English

Alternative forms

• (surname): Talford, Telfort

Etymology

From Old French, taille fer, meaning "(he who) cuts iron" or "iron-cleaver"; used as a nickname for a man who could cleave clean through the armour of his foe. The second syllable was eventually reanalysed as native English 'ford'.

• (road): Named after Thomas Telford, a famous civil engineer.

Pronunciation

• Audio (UK)

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Proper noun

Telford (countable and uncountable, plural Telfords)

1. (countable) A surname.
2. A new town in Telford and Wrekin borough and the ceremonial county of Shropshire, England, named after Thomas Telford (OS grid ref SJ7008).
3. A locality in the Shire of Moira, Victoria, Australia.
4. A place in the United States:
   1. A borough in Bucks County and Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, named after Thomas Telford.
   2. A census-designated place in Washington County, Tennessee, named after state senator George Whitfield Telford.
   3. An unincorporated community in Lincoln County, Washington, named after cattleman M. A Telford.

Derived terms

• Telford and Wrekin
• Telfordian

 

Noun

Telford (uncountable)

1. (attributive) A road pavement having a surface of small stone rolled hard and smooth, distinguished from macadam road by its firm foundation of large stones with fragments of stone wedged tightly in the interstices.

   a Telford road

Coordinate terms

• asphalt
• asphalt concrete
• cobble
• cobblestone
• concrete
• gravel
• macadam
• tar
• tarmac
• tarmacadam

 

Derived terms

• Telfordization
• Telfordize