A cattle grid is a set of metal bars in the surface of a road which prevents cattle and sheep from walking along the road, but allows people and vehicles to pass.
[British]regional note: in AM, use cattle guard
cattle-grid in British English
or cattle guard
noun
a grid of metal bars covering a hollow or hole dug in a roadway, intended to prevent the passage of livestock while allowing vehicles, etc, to pass unhindered
Examples of 'cattle-grid' in a sentence
cattle-grid
For a while...' Beyond the cattle-grid, the road was tarmac with grass on either side, sheep roaming freely.
Mark Burnell CHAMELEON (2002)
As they crossed a cattle-grid, Stephanie said, `There was a man in London before Malta.