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Definition of path - 13 dictionary results

path

[path, pahth]
–noun, plural paths [pathz, pahthz, paths, pahths] .
1. a way beaten, formed, or trodden by the feet of persons or animals.
2. a narrow walk or way: a path through a garden; a bicycle path.
3. a route, course, or track along which something moves: the path of a hurricane.
4. a course of action, conduct, or procedure: the path of righteousness.
5. Mathematics. a continuous curve that connects two or more points.
6. Computers. the sequence of steps that a computer follows in carrying out a routine, as in storing and retrieving a file at a specific location.
7. cross one's path, to encounter or meet unexpectedly: Tragedy crossed our path again.

Origin:
bef. 900; ME; OE pæth; c. G Pfad


1. footpath, pathway. Path, lane, trail are passages or routes not as wide as a way or road. A path is a way for passing on foot; a track, beaten by feet, not specially constructed, is often along the side of a road: a path through a field. A lane is a narrow road or track, generally between fields, often enclosed with fences or trees; sometimes it is an alley or narrow road between buildings in towns: a lane leading to a farmhouse; Drury Lane. A trail is a rough way made or worn through woods, or across mountains, prairies, or other untraveled regions: an Indian trail.

path-

var. of patho- before a vowel: pathosis.

-path

a combining form occurring in personal nouns corresponding to abstract nouns ending in -pathy, with the general sense “one practicing such a treatment” (osteopath) or “one suffering from such an ailment” (psychopath).

path.

patho-

a combining form meaning “suffering,” “disease,” “feeling,” used in the formation of compound words: pathology.
Also, especially before a vowel, path-.


Origin:
comb. form repr. Gk páthos; see pathos
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To path
path   (pāth, päth)   
n.   pl. paths (pāthz, päthz, pāths, päths)
  1. A trodden track or way.

  2. A road, way, or track made for a particular purpose: a bicycle path.

  3. The route or course along which something travels or moves: the path of a hurricane.

  4. A course of action or conduct: the path of righteousness.

  5. Computer Science

    1. A sequence of commands or a link between points that is needed to reach a particular goal.

    2. A pathname.


[Middle English, from Old English pæth; see pent- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: path
Pronunciation: 'path, 'poth
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural paths /'pathz, 'paths, 'pothz, 'poths/
1 : the way or route traversed by something paths by which water reaches the surface of the skin —Morris Fishbein>
2 : PATHWAY 1 path from the retina to the cerebral cortex>

Main Entry: path
Function: abbreviation
pathological; pathology
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

-path suff.

  1. A practitioner of a specified kind of medical treatment: naturopath.

  2. One affected by a specified kind of disorder: sociopath.

patho- or path-
pref.
Disease; suffering: pathogen.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Computing Dictionary

path
1. A bang path or explicitly routed Internet address; a node-by-node specification of a link between two machines.
2. pathname.
3. The list of directories the kernel (under Unix) or the command interpreter (under MS-DOS) searches for executables. It is stored as part of the environment in both operating systems.
Other, similar constructs abound under Unix; the C preprocessor, for example, uses such a search path to locate "#include" files.
[The Jargon File]
(1996-11-21)

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Abbreviations & Acronyms
PATH
Program for Appropriate Technology in Health
The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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