Taxonomy of meanings for 街:　　

Additional information about 街

說文解字: 【街】，四通道也。从行、圭聲。 【古膎切】

Criteria
• WAY
  

  1. The general word for streets and roads is tú 塗／涂／途.

  2. The general word for an established way along which humans move conveniently in the landscape is lù 路, and this term covers all manner of large and wide roads as well as small paths of any kind. (For streets within cities see STREET)

  3. Dào 道, when used in its concrete meaning referring to a means of communication tends to refer to a larger line of communication, and the traditional claim is that the term refers to a road where two vehicles can pass each other. Thus the First Emperor called his Autobahns chí dào 馳道 and not chí lù 馳路.

  4. Jiē qú 街衢 refers to the highways of the land in a general way.

• CROSSROADS
  

  1. Qú 衢 refers generally to an intersection of roads, either in a city or in the countryside, from which one can move in four or more directions, once in CC even nine directions.

  2. Chōng 衝 refers to such an intersection especially as a centre of communications.

  3. Jiē 街 is sometimes used to refer to a cross-road within a city.

  ERYA 一達謂之道路；二達謂之歧旁；三達謂之劇旁；四達謂之衢；五達謂之康；六達謂之莊；七達謂之劇驂；八達謂之崇期；九達謂之逵。 is a wonderful example of rationalisation in lexicography.

• STREET
  

  1. The general term for the streets of a compact settlement of any kind is xiàng 巷.

  2. Jiē 街 refers to main roads in settlements, but the word is rare.

Word relations
• Contrast: (STREET)巷/STREET The general term for the streets of a compact settlement of any kind is xiàng 巷.