мост
most
/most/
Definition
A structure built over a river, road, or gap so that people or vehicles can cross it.
Example
Мы перешли через мост и вошли в старый город.
Show translation
We crossed the bridge and entered the old town.
Etymology
From Proto-Slavic *mostъ, related to Old Church Slavonic мостъ. Cognates appear across all Slavic languages (Polish most, Czech most, Serbian мост). The root is thought to connect to a Proto-Indo-European base meaning "to measure" or "to span," possibly linked to Latin *mensus (measured). The word has been stable in Russian since the earliest written records.
Cultural note
Bridges hold deep symbolic weight in Russian culture. St. Petersburg — built on islands — is famous for its many drawbridges (разводные мосты) over the Neva River, which are raised each night in summer to let ships through, becoming one of the city's most iconic sights. In figurative speech, "сжигать мосты" (to burn bridges) means exactly what it does in English — to cut off a retreat or relationship — making мост a rich word for idiom study.