"zebra crossing" means: A pedestrian crossing featuring broad white stripes painted parallel to the street.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
zebra crossing
(UK, Irish, Commonwealth) A pedestrian crossing featuring broad white stripes painted parallel to the street.
Definitions
(UK, Irish, Commonwealth) A pedestrian crossing featuring broad white stripes painted parallel to the street.
"zebra crossing" means: A pedestrian crossing featuring broad white stripes painted parallel to the street.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
"zebra crossing" means: A pedestrian crossing featuring broad white stripes painted parallel to the street.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. Note the regional or dialect label (UK) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
“Fun fact: I almost got run over by ex-Princess Di in an Audi Cabrio just like that, the same colour and everything. It was on the zebra crossing by the Harbour Club in Fulham.”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Related terms
People also read
Semantically related
- pelican crossing70%
(UK, Irish, Commonwealth) A pedestrian crossing with traffic-lights operated by pedestrians.
- crosswalk69%
(US) A point designated for pedestrians to cross a street.
- Belisha beacon63%
(British, Ireland) A tall black and white pole topped by a flashing orange globe, placed on either side of the road at zebra crossings; mostly now replaced by more sophisticated arrangements.
- level crossing62%
(chiefly, British) An at-grade crossing between a railway line and an ordinary road, with rails and road at the same level.
- railroad crossing61%
(US) An area on a road where a train crosses.