on the street

1. mod. using drugs; selling drugs; looking for drugs. (Drugs.)

□ Fred spent a year on the street before he was arrested.

□ Max will be on the street all his life.

2. mod. engaged in prostitution.

□ Mary said, “What am I supposed to do— go on the street?”

□ All three of them went on the street to earn enough money to live.

3. mod. widely known.

□ Sue put it on the street, and now everyone knows.

□ It’s on the street. There isn’t anyone who hasn’t heard it.

4. mod. on Wall Street or elsewhere in the New York City financial districts. (Similar to sense 3, except that it refers to a specific street. Usually with a capital s.)

□ I heard on the Street today that Apple is buying IBM.

□ It’s on the Street that the market is due to crash again.

5. mod. at discount prices; as available from discounters. (As if some item were being sold on the street by a peddler.)

□ It lists at $2200 and can be got for about $1650 on the street.

□ On the street it goes for about $400.