High Street
- For the fell, see High Street (Lake District).
High Street, or the High Street (often abbreviated to High St) is the generic name (and frequently the official name) of the primary business street of towns or cities in the United Kingdom. It is usually a focal point for shops and retailers in the city centre. The equivalent in the United States and Canada is Main Street, a term also used in smaller towns and villages in Scotland.
History
Starting at least 10 centuries ago, the word high gradually evolved to also mean something excellent or of superior rank, as evidenced in high sheriff and high society. It was applied to roads as they improved, and the word highway has been recorded from the early ninth century. "High Street" began to be used to describe the thoroughfares containing the main retail areas in villages and towns.
In recent years, although the term "High Street" is still used to refer to commerce, shopping has tended to shift to purpose built out of town shopping malls and supermarkets.
The large presence of chain stores on High Streets repeated in settlements around the UK is part of the clone town theory.
Usage
The term "High Street" is often used to describe common stores found on a typical high street, to differentiate them from more specialist or less common outlets. For example, someone might refer to "High Street banks" or "High Street shops".