Dictionary

headway en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈhɛdweɪ/

Etymology

Partly from Middle English hauedwei, from Old English hēafodweġ (“head-road, main-road”); partly as a shortening of ahead-way, the source of the nautical sense. By surface analysis, head + way.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) A movement ahead or forward.
2. (countable, uncountable) Forward motion, or its rate.
3. (countable) The interval of time or distance between the fronts of two vehicles (e.g. buses) moving in succession in the same direction, especially along the same predetermined route.
   • Sixty minutes divided by the headway gives a potential figure for 'trains per hour' - the simplest possible and most simplistic definition of capacity, termed line capacity. 2019 October, William Barter, “West Coast capacity study”, in Modern Railways, page 66:
   • The whole of the main lines to be electrified were being equipped with four-aspect colour-light signals, automatically operated, where appropriate, and spaced to give a 5min headway throughout. 1961 December, “Planning the London Midland main-line electrification”, in Trains Illustrated, page 719:
4. (figuratively, uncountable) Progress toward a goal.
5. (countable) The clearance beneath an object, such as an arch, ceiling or bridge; headroom.
   • So as not to impede navigation the two principal spans of the bridge were designed to provide a clear headway of 157 ft. above high water for a distance of 500 ft.; [...]. 1941 January, the late John Phillimore, “The Forth Bridge 1890-1940”, in Railway Magazine, page 5:
6. (countable, uncountable) A crossheading.

Forms

Deriveds

make headway

Relateds

seaway

Translations (38)

de lichte Höhe (clearance beneath an object) · bg напредване (forward motion, or its rate) · it evoluzione (progress toward a goal) · ru продвиже́ние (progress toward a goal) · tr gelişme (progress toward a goal) · de Takt (time or distance interval between the fronts of two vehicles) · it altezza (clearance beneath an object) · ru расстоя́ние (time or distance interval between the fronts of two vehicles) · ru промежу́ток (time or distance interval between the fronts of two vehicles) · ru движе́ние вперёд (forward motion, or its rate) · bg прогрес (progress toward a goal) · tr kolbaşları zaman fasılası (time or distance interval between the fronts of two vehicles) · it luce (clearance beneath an object) · fi vuoroväli (time or distance interval between the fronts of two vehicles) · bg просвет (clearance beneath an object) · it avvio (forward motion, or its rate) · bg прогрес (forward motion, or its rate) · it progresso (progress toward a goal) · ru продвиже́ние (forward motion, or its rate) · it abbrivio (forward motion, or its rate) · ru прогре́сс (progress toward a goal) · de Fortschritt (progress toward a goal) · it avanzamento (progress toward a goal) · tr tavan yüksekliği (clearance beneath an object) · bg дистанция (time or distance interval between the fronts of two vehicles) · it spazio (clearance beneath an object) · it impulso (forward motion, or its rate) · ru интерва́л (time or distance interval between the fronts of two vehicles) · de Fahrzeugabstand (time or distance interval between the fronts of two vehicles) · ru просве́т (clearance beneath an object) · tr yol alma (forward motion, or its rate) · tr kemer yüksekliği (clearance beneath an object) · rgn abrìv (forward motion, or its rate) · de Vorwärtsfahrt (forward motion, or its rate) · it intervallo (time or distance interval between the fronts of two vehicles) · ru высота́ (clearance beneath an object) · ru дистанция (time or distance interval between the fronts of two vehicles) · tr ilerleme (progress toward a goal)