manner, mode, or fashion: a new way of looking at a matter; to reply in a polite way.
characteristic or habitual manner: Her way is to work quietly and never complain.
a method, plan, or means for attaining a goal: to find a way to reduce costs.
a respect or particular: The plan is defective in several ways.
a direction or vicinity: Look this way. We're having a drought out our way.
passage or progress on a course: to make one's way on foot; to lead the way.
Often ways. distance: They've come a long way.
a path or course leading from one place to another: What's the shortest way to town?
British.
an old Roman or pre-Roman road: Icknield Way.
a minor street in a town: He lives in Stepney Way.
a road, route, passage, or channel (usually used in combination): highway; waterway; doorway.
Law. a right of way.
any line of passage or travel, used or available: to blaze a way through dense woods.
space for passing or advancing: to clear a way through the crowd.
Often ways. a habit or custom: The grandmother lived by the ways of the old country.
course or mode of procedure that one chooses or wills: They had to do it my way.
condition, as to health, prosperity, or the like: to be in a bad way.
range or extent of experience or notice: the best device that ever came in my way.
a course of life, action, or experience: The way of transgressors is hard.
Informal. business: to be in the haberdashery way.
Nautical.
ways,two or more ground ways down which a hull slides in being launched.
movement or passage through the water.
Machinery. a longitudinal strip, as in a planer, guiding a moving part along a surface.
Idioms for way
by the way, in the course of one's remarks; incidentally: By the way, have you received that letter yet?
by way of,
by the route of; through; via.
as a method or means of: to number articles by way of distinguishing them.
British.in the state or position of (being, doing, etc.); ostensibly: He is by way of being an authority on the subject.
come one's way, to come to one; befall one: A bit of good fortune came my way.
give way,
to withdraw or retreat: The army gave way before the advance of the enemy.
to collapse; yield; break down: You will surely give way under the strain of overwork.
give way to,
to yield to:He gave way to their entreaties.
to become unrestrained or uninhibited; lose control of (one's temper, emotions, etc.): I gave way to my rage and ordered them from the house.
go all the way, Slang.
to do completely or wholeheartedly.
to take a decisive action, especially one from which no retreat is possible: Neither side wants to go all the way with nuclear warfare.
to engage in sexual intercourse.
go out of one's way, to do something that inconveniences one; make an unusual effort: Please don't go out of your way on my account.
have a way with, to have a charming, persuasive, or effective manner of dealing with: He has a way with children; to have a way with words.
have one's way with, (especially of a man) to have sexual intercourse with, sometimes by intimidating or forcing one's partner.
in a family way, pregnant.
in a way, after a fashion; to some extent: In a way, she's the nicest person I know.
in someone's way, forming a hindrance, impediment, or obstruction: She might have succeeded in her ambition, had not circumstances been in her way.Also in the way .
lead the way,
to go along a course in advance of others, as a guide.
to take the initiative; be first or most prominent: In fashion she has always led the way.
make one's way,
to go forward; proceed: to make one's way through the mud.
to achieve recognition or success; advance: to make one's way in the world.
make way,
to allow to pass; clear the way: Make way for the king!
to relinquish to another; withdraw: He resigned to make way for a younger man.
Nautical.to make forward or astern progress even though engines are not running.
no way, Informal. not under any circumstances; no: Apologize to him? No way!
out of the way,
in a state or condition so as not to obstruct or hinder.
dealt with; disposed of: I feel better, now that one problem is out of the way.
murdered: to have a person put out of the way.
out of the frequented way; at a distance from the usual route.
improper; amiss: There was something decidedly out of the way about her explanation.
extraordinary; unusual: Such behavior was out of the way for him.
pave the way to / for. pave (def. 3).
see one's way clear, to regard as suitable or possible; consider seriously: We couldn't see our way clear to spending so much money at once.Also see one's way .
take one's way, to start out; travel; go: He took his way across the park and headed uptown.
Origin of way
1
First recorded before 900; Middle English wei(gh)e, Old English weg; cognate with Dutch, German Weg, Old Norse vegr, Gothic wigs; akin to Latin vehere “to carry”