esplanade

/ˈɛspləˌneɪd/

Etymology

1590s, from French esplanade (“clear, level space”), from either Spanish esplanada (explanada), form of esplanar (“to flatten, to make level”) or Italian spianata, form of spianare (of the same meaning), both from Latin explānāre, from which English explain; see also plain (“level area, to flatten”).

Why this word is great

ESPLANADE — [Noun] A level open stretch of paved or grassy ground, especially one designed for walking or driving along a shore or riverbank, or a clear space between a citadel and nearby houses. From French esplanade ("clear, level space"), from Spanish esplanada ("large level area"), from esplanar ("to flatten"), from Latin explānāre ("to make level"), from ex- ("out") + plānus ("flat"). Unlike "promenade" (which implies the act of strolling) or "boulevard" (which evokes urban grandeur), "esplanade" is the space itself—neutral, open, waiting. It is the sun-bleached concrete along the Mediterranean, warm underfoot at dusk; the broad, empty swath between a fortress and the town, where no sniper could hide; the riverbank path where lovers meet, unobserved beneath the open sky. A place where the horizon feels nearer, and the world briefly obeys geometry.

noun

  1. A clear space between a citadel and the nearest houses of the town.
  2. The glacis of the counterscarp, or the slope of the parapet of the covered way toward the country.
  3. A grass plat; a lawn.
  4. Any clear, level space used for public walks or drives; especially, a terrace by the seaside.
  5. Grassy strips between two divided highway lanes; a traffic island.