WAY


Meaning of WAY in English

I. ˈwā noun

Etymology: Middle English, from Old English weg; akin to Old High German weg way, Old English wegan to move, Latin vehere to carry, via way

Date: before 12th century

1.

a. : a thoroughfare for travel or transportation from place to place

b. : an opening for passage

this door is the only way out of the room

2. : the course traveled from one place to another : route

asked the way to the museum

3.

a. : a course (as a series of actions or sequence of events) leading in a direction or toward an objective

led the way to eventual open heart operations — Current Biography

b.

(1) : a course of action

took the easy way out

(2) : opportunity, capability, or fact of doing as one pleases

always manages to get her own way

c. : a possible decision, action, or outcome : possibility

they were rude—no two way s about it

4.

a. : manner or method of doing or happening

admired her way of thinking

also : method of accomplishing : means

that's the way to do it

b. : feature , respect

in no way resembles her mother

c. : a usually specified degree of participation in an activity or enterprise

active in real estate in a small way

5.

a. : characteristic, regular, or habitual manner or mode of being, behaving, or happening

knows nothing of the way s of women

b. : ability to get along well or perform well

she has a way with kids

a way with words

6. : the length of a course : distance

has come a long way in her studies

still have a way to go

7. : movement or progress along a course

worked her way up the corporate ladder

8.

a. : direction

is coming this way

b. : participant — usually used in combination

three- way discussion

9. : state of affairs : condition , state

that's the way things are

10.

a. plural but sometimes singular in construction : an inclined structure upon which a ship is built or supported in launching

b. plural : the guiding surfaces on the bed of a machine along which a table or carriage moves

11. : category , kind — usually used in the phrase in the way of

doesn't require much in the way of expensive equipment — Forbes

12. : motion or speed of a ship or boat through the water

Synonyms: see method

- all the way

- by the way

- by way of

- in a way

- in one's way

- on the way

- out of the way

- the way

II. adjective

Date: 1799

: of, connected with, or constituting an intermediate point on a route

III. adverb

Date: 1849

1.

a. : away 7

is way ahead of the class

b. : by far : much

ate way too much

c. : very 2

way cool

way excited

2. : all the way

pull the switch way back

- from way back

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.