highway

English Online Dictionary. What means highway‎? What does highway mean?

English

Alternative forms

• hwy., hwy (abbreviation)
• hi'way, hi-way, hiway, hi way (abbreviation)

Etymology

From Middle English heiȝwai, heiȝwei, from Old English hēahweġ (“main road, highway”), corresponding to high +‎ way. Compare highgate, high street, high road.

Cognate with Scots heaway, heway, hieway, hichway, heichway (“highway”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhaɪweɪ/

• Rhymes: -aɪweɪ

Noun

highway (plural highways)

1. (historical) A road that is higher than the surrounding land and has drainage ditches at the sides
2. A main public road, especially a multi-lane, high-speed thoroughfare.
3. (figurative) A way; a path that leads to a certain destiny
4. (law, rail transport) Any public road for vehicular traffic.
5. (computing) Synonym of bus (“common connection for two or more circuits or components”)

Hyponyms

• (main public road): expressway, motorway

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

highway (third-person singular simple present highways, present participle highwaying, simple past and past participle highwayed)

1. To travel on a highway

References

• “highway”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “highway”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.