highway en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈhɑjwɛj/ (British, Southern, Standard)
- /ˈhaɪweɪ/
- (US) audio
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”).
Meanings
-
A main public road, especially a multi-lane, high-speed thoroughfare.
The highway to the East Coast which ran through the borough of Ebbfield had always been a main road and even now, despite the vast garages, the pylons and the gaily painted factory glasshouses which had sprung up beside it, there still remained an occasional trace of past cultures.
1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 7, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
- Any public road.
-
(figuratively) A way; a path that leads to a certain destiny.
I'm on the highway to hell
1979, “Highway to Hell”, in Highway to Hell, performed by AC/DC:You're on a highway to greatness.
So how do the scientists cope with their work being ignored for decades, and living in a world their findings indicate is on a “highway to hell”?.
2024 May 8, Damian Carrington, “‘Hopeless and broken’: why the world’s top climate scientists are in despair. World’s top climate scientists expect global heating to blast past 1.5C target”, in The Guardian, UK:
- (archaic) A road that is major (more heavily traveled and thus more important than a byway), higher than the surrounding land, has drainage ditches at the sides, or has any combination of those traits.
- Synonym of bus (“common connection for two or more circuits or components”).
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| hi'way | Abbr=Yes | alternative | lexicographic |
| hwy. | Abbr=Yes | alternative | lexicographic |
| highways | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| hi way | Abbr=Yes | alternative | lexicographic |
| hiway | Abbr=Yes | alternative | lexicographic |
| hi-way | Abbr=Yes | alternative | lexicographic |
| hwy | Abbr=Yes | alternative | lexicographic |
Coordinates
back street · back road · byway
Deriveds
superhighway · highwayless · highwaywoman · Karakoram Highway · Hershey highway · hedgehog highway · Highway Code · King's highway · information highway · highway patrol · digital highway · antihighway · lost highway · hwy. · superinformation highway · highway engineer · highway-robbery · highway robber · St Kew Highway · tourist highway · highwayman · semi-highway · limited-access highway · hijack · my way or the highway · Marilaque Highway · highwaylike · highway hypnosis · plain as Dunstable highway · one's way or the highway · highway yellow · Nether highway · highway robbery · belt highway · controlled-access highway · divided highway · highway oasis · nonhighway
Hypernyms
Synonyms
Translations (207)
cs dálnice (main public road) · it via maestra (main public road) · bo གཞུང་ལམ (main public road) · nl snelweg (main public road) · be шо́са (main public road) · hsb dróha (main public road) · ky автомагистраль (main public road) · hy մայրուղի (main public road) · mos so-kõodre (main public road) · mn төв зам (main public road) · he אוֹטוֹסְטְרָדָה (main public road) · ru автостра́да (main public road) · gu હાઈવે (main public road) · uk магістра́ль (main public road) · ru автодоро́га (main public road) · fi valtatie (main public road) · tg озодроҳ (main public road) · bg автомагистра́ла (main public road) · ga mórbhealach (main public road) · gv ard-raad (main public road) · be шаша́ (main public road) · ru автомагистра́ль (main public road) · id jalan raya (main public road) · izh maantee (main public road) · fa-ira آزادْراه (main public road) · mt awtostrada (main public road) · kk шоссе (main public road) · te రాజమార్గము (main public road) · ky магистраль (main public road) · uz avtostrada (main public road) · nb motorveg (main public road) · lb Autobunn (main public road) · es multitrocha (main public road) · et kiirtee (main public road) · tg шореъ (main public road) · da motorvej (main public road) · ar طَرِيق (main public road) · az magistral (main public road) · be шаса́ (main public road) · lt automagistralė (main public road) · tk awtomagistral (main public road) · be аўтамагістра́ль (main public road) · ky шоссе (main public road) · ur ہائی وے (main public road) · uk шосе́ (main public road) · ms lebuh raya (main public road) · wa mwaisse voye (main public road) · kmr otoban (main public road) · et maantee (main public road) · ko 가도 (main public road) · it strada maestra (main public road) · tk şosse (main public road) · sv väg (main public road) · it autostrada (main public road) · is hraðbraut (main public road) · be аўтастра́да (main public road) · ur شارِع (main public road) · kn ಹೆದ್ದಾರಿ (main public road) · szl autobana (main public road) · ru шоссе́ (main public road) · tg шоссе (main public road) · gag şösä (main public road) · uz avtomagistral (main public road) · ur شاہْراہ (main public road) · ja 公路 (main public road) · is þjóðvegur (main public road) · or ରାଜପଥ (main public road) · ka მაგისტრალი (main public road) · mi huanui (main public road) · uk автостра́да (main public road) · hu autópálya (main public road) · ga mórbhóthar (main public road) · ka გზატკეცილი (main public road) · nb motorvei (main public road) · tk magistral (main public road) · mi huarahi (main public road) · mr महामार्ग (main public road) · nl autoroute (main public road) · non braut (main public road) · pl autostrada (main public road) · crh taş yol (main public road) · vi quốc lộ (main public road) · tg шоҳроҳ (main public road) · fi päätie (main public road) · km អូតូរុត (main public road) · ro drum mare (main public road) · wa grand-rote (main public road) · grc λεωφόρος (main public road) · eu errepide (main public road) · ar طَرِيق عَامّ (main public road) · ka ავტომაგისტრალი (main public road) · mn авто зам (main public road) · pt rodovia (main public road) · ca autopista (main public road) · ko 공로 (main public road) · mk автопат (main public road) · ug تاشيول (main public road) · km ផ្លូវធំ (main public road) · tr anayol (main public road) · nrf grand'c'mîn (main public road) · tg бузургроҳ (main public road) · fit tolppatie (main public road) · fa-ira شارِع (main public road) · yi שאָסיי (main public road) · pdt Huachwajch (main public road) · cy priffordd (main public road) · kk магистраль (main public road) · gu રાજમાર્ગ (main public road) · gl estrada (main public road) · nl autostrade (main public road) · fa-ira جادِّه (main public road) · eu autobide (main public road) · ja 街道 (main public road) · hy խճուղի (main public road) · ta நெடுஞ்சாலை (main public road) · tg магистрал (main public road) · sl avtocesta (main public road) · bn হাইওয়ে (main public road) · gur zuusore class 3/4 (main public road) · mn хурдны зам (main public road) · tg ҷодда (main public road) · fr grand’route (main public road) · ml ഹൈവേ (main public road) · uz shosse (main public road) · bn রাজপথ (main public road) · ro autostradă (main public road) · pl szosa (main public road) · vi xa lộ (main public road) · ja 公道 (main public road) · th ทางหลวง (main public road) · vi đường ô tô (main public road) · sh autocèsta (main public road) · pt autoestrada (main public road) · rsk автодрага (main public road) · sk diaľnica (main public road) · my လမ်းမကြီး (main public road) · fr grand chemin (main public road) · kmr otorê (main public road) · mos so-raoogo (main public road) · ca carretera (main public road) · lt autostrada (main public road) · sh àutopūt (main public road) · tr otoban (main public road) · fa-ira شاهْراه (main public road) · yue 公路 (main public road) · sh а̀утопӯт (main public road) · sv motorväg (main public road) · az avtomagistral (main public road) · nan-hbl 車路 /车路 (main public road) · fi pikatie (main public road) · bg магистра́ла (main public road) · sq autoudhë (main public road) · ru магистра́ль (main public road) · yi שטראָז (main public road) · ky даңгыр жол (main public road) · vi đường quốc lộ (main public road) · hi हाइवे (main public road) · el αυτοκινητόδρομος (main public road) · ta பெருவழி (main public road) · hy շոսսե (main public road) · rsk маґистрала (main public road) · lo ທາງຫຼວງ (main public road) · sh аутоцѐста (main public road) · sq autostradë (main public road) · gu ધોરીમાર્ગ (main public road) · uk автошля́х (main public road) · mn гол зам (main public road) · cmn 公路 (main public road) · gl autoestrada (main public road) · es autopista (main public road) · es autovía (main public road) · uz magistral (main public road) · fr chaussée (main public road) · ro șosea (main public road) · tr otoyol (main public road) · kk автомагистраль (main public road) · bg автостра́да (main public road) · as ৰাজপথ (main public road) · fa-ira بُزُرْگْراه (main public road) · tl lansangan (main public road) · wa cwate-bindes (main public road) · hi राजमार्ग (main public road) · az şose (main public road) · ne राजमार्ग (main public road) · sv landsväg (main public road) · haw alaloa (main public road) · fr autoroute (main public road) · nl autosnelweg (main public road) · de Hauptstraße (main public road) · kmr şahrê (main public road) · be саша́ (main public road) · af snelweg (main public road) · he כְּבִישׁ מַהִיר (main public road) · kk тас жол (main public road) · bg аутобан (main public road) · yi אויטאָסטראַט (main public road) · ps جاده (main public road) · gl autovía (main public road) · tg автомагистрал (main public road) · de Chaussee (main public road) · be магістра́ль (main public road) · uk автомагістра́ль (main public road) · eo ŝoseo (main public road) · ms jalan raya (main public road) · de Autobahn (main public road) · lv automaģistrāle (main public road) · hu országút (main public road)