street sign

Meaning

A street sign is a sign, usually mounted on a post at a road corner, that displays the name of the street. It helps pedestrians and drivers identify their location and navigate through cities and towns.

Examples

• I couldn't read the street sign because it was too dark.

  I couldn't read the street sign because it was too dark.

• Look at the street sign to see if this is Broadway.

  Look at the street sign to see if this is Broadway.

• The city is putting up a new street sign at the corner.

  The city is putting up a new street sign at the corner.

• There was no street sign, so we got completely lost.

  There was no street sign, so we got completely lost.

• The street sign says we are on Fifth Avenue.

  The street sign says we are on Fifth Avenue.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I am looking for the street's sign.

  ✓ I am looking for the street sign.

  'Street' acts as a noun adjunct here, meaning it functions like an adjective. No possessive apostrophe 's is needed.

• ✗ The road name sign is green.

  ✓ The street sign is green.

  While 'road name sign' is descriptive, native English speakers almost exclusively use 'street sign' to refer to signs showing street names.

Related Expressions

Practice

• If you don't know the name of this road, look at the ___ on the corner.

  💡 A sign showing the name of the road.

  Show answer

  street sign

• The wind was so strong that it knocked down the ___.

  💡 The metal board on a post that names the street.

  Show answer

  street sign