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Dictionary
Index W
way: Meaning and Definition of
Find definitions for:
way
Pronunciation:
(wā),
[key]
— n.
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,distance:
They've come a long way.
a path or course leading from one place to another:
What's the shortest way to town?
Icknield Way.
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.
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,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.
business:
to be in the haberdashery way.
ways,two or more ground ways down which a hull slides in being launched.
movement or passage through the water.
a longitudinal strip, as in a planer, guiding a moving part along a surface.
in the course of one's remarks; incidentally:
By the way, have you received that letter yet?
to number articles by way of distinguishing them.
by the route of; through; via.
as a method or means of:to number articles by way of distinguishing them.
Brit.in the state or position of (being, doing, etc.); ostensibly:He is by way of being an authority on the subject.
to come to one; befall one:
A bit of good fortune came my way.
The army gave way before the advance of the enemy.
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.
He gave way to their entreaties.
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.
Neither side wants to go all the way with nuclear warfare.
to do completely or wholeheartedly.
to take a decisive action, esp. one from which no retreat is possible:Neither side wants to go all the way with nuclear warfare.
to engage in sexual intercourse.
to do something that inconveniences one; make an unusual effort:
Please don't go out of your way on my account.
to have a charming, persuasive, or effective manner of dealing with:
He has a way with children; to have a way with words.
(esp. of a man) to have sexual intercourse with, sometimes by intimidating or forcing one's partner.
pregnant.
after a fashion; to some extent:
In a way, she's the nicest person I know.
forming a hindrance, impediment, or obstruction:
She might have succeeded in her ambition, had not circumstances been in her way.
In fashion she has always led 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.
to make one's way through the mud.
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 for the king!
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.
Naut.to make forward or astern progress even though engines are not running.
not under any circumstances; no:
Apologize to him? No way!
I feel better, now that one problem is 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.
See(def. 2).
to regard as suitable or possible; consider seriously:
We couldn't see our way clear to spending so much money at once.
to start out; travel; go:
He took his way across the park and headed uptown.
way
Pronunciation:
(wā),
[key]
— adv.
away; from this or that place:
Go way.
to a great degree or at quite a distance; far:
way too heavy; way down the road.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary,
Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
See also:
way
(Thesaurus)
waxy
waybill
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