Meaning
In British English, a zebra crossing is a pedestrian crossing marked by broad alternating black and white stripes across the road.
How it is used
Cambridge Dictionary labels zebra crossing as UK English and describes the black-and-white road markings used for pedestrian crossing. Collins independently identifies it as a British pedestrian crossing marked by broad alternating black and white stripes. The visual reference to zebra stripes explains the name and helps visitors recognize the term quickly.
Examples
- “Use the zebra crossing to get to the other side.”
- “There's a zebra crossing just past the junction.”
- “We waited by the zebra crossing before crossing the road.”
Pronunciation
/ˌzeb.rə ˈkrɒs.ɪŋ/ · ZEB-ruh KROSS-ing
Tone and register
Neutral and standard British road vocabulary. Zebra crossing is not slang.
Visitor guidance
Visitors can understand zebra crossing as a particular type of marked pedestrian crossing, broadly comparable to a striped crosswalk in North American vocabulary. Do not treat a dictionary definition as current road-safety or legal instruction: driver and pedestrian duties, priority rules, signals, temporary arrangements, and local conditions must be followed from the current Highway Code, road signs, signals, and official guidance.
Cultural context
Zebra crossing is useful visitor language because it appears in directions, safety conversations, maps, driving material, local reporting, and everyday instructions. Britain also uses other named pedestrian-crossing types, so zebra crossing does not mean every pedestrian crossing.
Places represented
Open the reviewed place guide for each regional sense carried by this canonical entry.