way
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way (wā)
noun
- a means of passing from one place to another, as a road, highway, street or path the Appian Way
- room or space for passing; free area; an opening, as in a crowd or traffic clear a way for the ambulance
- a route or course that is or may be used to go from one place to another: often used in combination highway, railway, one-way street
- a specified route or direction on the way to town
- a path in life; course or habits of life or conduct to fall into evil ways
- a course of action; method or manner of doing something do it this way
- a means to an end; method a way to cut costs
- a usual or customary manner of living, acting, or being the way of the world
- a characteristic manner of acting or doing to learn the ways of other people
- manner or style to have a pleasant way
- distance a long way off
- direction of movement or action go this way; look this way
- respect; point; particular; feature to be right in some ways
- what one desires; wish; will to have or get one's own way
- range or scope, as of experience a method that never came in his way
- relationship as to those taking part: used in hyphenated compounds a four-way conversation
- Informal a (specified) state or condition to be in a bad way
- Informal a district; locality; area out our way
- Law, Now Rare right of way (sense )
- Mech. a surface or slide on which the carriage of a lathe, etc. moves along its bed
- Naut. a ship's movement or momentum through water
- Shipbuilding a timber framework on which a ship is built and along which it slides in launching
Etymology: ME < OE weg, akin to Ger < IE base *weĝh-, to go > L vehere, to carry, ride, Gr ochos, wagon
adverb
by the way
- incidentally
- on or beside the way
by way of
- passing through; through; via
- as a way, method, mode, or means of
- Chiefly Brit. in the condition or position of by way of being a fine pianist
come someone's way
- to come within someone's scope or range; come to someone
- Informal to turn out successfully for someone also go someone's way
give way
- to withdraw; yield
- to break down; collapse
give way to
- to step aside for; yield to
- to give free expression to to give way to tears
go all the way
☆- Informal to proceed or agree completely
- Slang to engage in sexual intercourse
go out of the way
or go out of one's wayin the way
lead the way
make one's way
- to advance or proceed
- to advance in life or succeed, as by one's own efforts
make way
- to make room; clear a passage
- to make progress
on the way out
- becoming unfashionable, obsolescent, etc.
- dying
out of the way
- in a position so as not to hinder or interfere
- disposed of
- not on the right or usual route or course
- improper; wrong; amiss
- unusual; uncommon
parting of the ways
see one's way clear
- to be willing (to do something)
- to find it convenient or possible
take one's way
the way
under way
- moving; advancing; making progress
- Naut.
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Alternate definitions:
way
n.
Road
Course
alternative, direction, progression, trend, tendency, distance, space, extent, bearing, orbit, approach, passage, route, gateway, entrance, access, door, gate, channel. Means
method, mode, means, plan, technique, design, system, procedure, process, measure, contrivance, stroke, step, move, action, idea, outline, plot, policy, instrument. Manner
form, fashion, gait, tone, guise, habit, custom, usage, behavior, style.
by the way
by way of
get out of the<strong> or </strong>one's way
go one's own way
give way (to)
in the way
lead the way
make one's way
make way
draw back, pull back, give way, withdraw;
make headway, move right along, get somewhere.
on the way out
out of the way
disposed of, terminated, taken out;
hard to get to, off the beaten track, in the country, rural, tucked away.
parting of the ways
see one's way clear
under way
Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Preposition: of
- life: Democracy is not about numbers, it is a way of life.
Converse of object
- find: The speakers also seemed to find a way of picking up Forth FM whilst the lecturer was trying to speak.
Adjective modifier
- same: In the same way, words don't describe things.
Modifies a noun
- round: Any apology should have been the other way round.
Noun used with modifier
- fun: Introduction to Wakeboarding - £ 59 Get involved with the fastest growing, coolest and most fun way to take to the water.
The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.
It is in life as it is in ways, the shortest way is most commonly the foulest, and surely the fairer way is not much about.
But when a man who sees the world one way becomes Barker theslave of a manwho interpretstheworld inexactly the opposite way, the result is, to my mind, the worst possible kind of slavery.
So he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto them, See that ye fall not out by the way.
Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Cite this page:
MLA Style
"way." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009
- Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
- <www.yourdictionary.com/way>
APA Style
way. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary
- Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/way
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