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way

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way

1  [wey]
Use way in a Sentence
–noun
1. manner, mode, or fashion: a new way of looking at a matter; to reply in a polite way.
2. characteristic or habitual manner: Her way is to work quietly and never complain.
3. a method, plan, or means for attaining a goal: to find a way to reduce costs.
4. a respect or particular: The plan is defective in several ways.
5. a direction or vicinity: Look this way. We're having a drought out our way.
6. passage or progress on a course: to make one's way on foot; to lead the way.
7. Often, ways. distance: They've come a long way.
8. a path or course leading from one place to another: What's the shortest way to town?
9. British.
a. an old Roman or pre-Roman road: Icknield Way.
b. a minor street in a town: He lives in Stepney Way.
10. a road, route, passage, or channel (usually used in combination): highway; waterway; doorway.
11. Law. a right of way.
12. any line of passage or travel, used or available: to blaze a way through dense woods.
13. space for passing or advancing: to clear a way through the crowd.
14. Often, ways. a habit or custom: The grandmother lived by the ways of the old country.
15. course or mode of procedure that one chooses or wills: They had to do it my way.
16. condition, as to health, prosperity, or the like: to be in a bad way.
17. range or extent of experience or notice: the best device that ever came in my way.
18. a course of life, action, or experience: The way of transgressors is hard.
19. Informal. business: to be in the haberdashery way.
20. Nautical.
a. ways, two or more ground ways down which a hull slides in being launched.
b. movement or passage through the water.
21. Machinery. a longitudinal strip, as in a planer, guiding a moving part along a surface.
—Idioms
22. by the way, in the course of one's remarks; incidentally: By the way, have you received that letter yet?
23. by way of,
a. by the route of; through; via.
b. as a method or means of: to number articles by way of distinguishing them.
c. British. in the state or position of (being, doing, etc.); ostensibly: He is by way of being an authority on the subject.
24. come one's way, to come to one; befall one: A bit of good fortune came my way.
25. give way,
a. to withdraw or retreat: The army gave way before the advance of the enemy.
b. to collapse; yield; break down: You will surely give way under the strain of overwork.
26. give way to,
a. to yield to: He gave way to their entreaties.
b. 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.
27. go all the way, Slang.
a. to do completely or wholeheartedly.
b. to take a decisive action, esp. one from which no retreat is possible: Neither side wants to go all the way with nuclear warfare.
c. to engage in sexual intercourse.
28. 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.
29. 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.
30. have one's way with, (esp. of a man) to have sexual intercourse with, sometimes by intimidating or forcing one's partner.
31. in a family way, pregnant.
32. in a way, after a fashion; to some extent: In a way, she's the nicest person I know.
33. 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.
34. lead the way,
a. to go along a course in advance of others, as a guide.
b. to take the initiative; be first or most prominent: In fashion she has always led the way.
35. make one's way,
a. to go forward; proceed: to make one's way through the mud.
b. to achieve recognition or success; advance: to make one's way in the world.
36. make way,
a. to allow to pass; clear the way: Make way for the king!
b. to relinquish to another; withdraw: He resigned to make way for a younger man.
c. Nautical. to make forward or astern progress even though engines are not running.
37. no way, Informal. not under any circumstances; no: Apologize to him? No way!
38. out of the way,
a. in a state or condition so as not to obstruct or hinder.
b. dealt with; disposed of: I feel better, now that one problem is out of the way.
c. murdered: to have a person put out of the way.
d. out of the frequented way; at a distance from the usual route.
e. improper; amiss: There was something decidedly out of the way about her explanation.
f. extraordinary; unusual: Such behavior was out of the way for him.
39. pave the way to or for. pave (def. 3).
40. 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.
41. take one's way, to start out; travel; go: He took his way across the park and headed uptown.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME wei(gh)e, wai, OE weg; c. D, G Weg, ON vegr, Goth wigs; akin to L vehere to carry

Related forms:
wayless, adjective

Synonyms:
3. scheme, device. See method. 4. detail, part. 7. space, interval. 10. track. 14. usage, practice, wont.
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way

2  [wey] ,
–adverb
1. Also, 'way. away; from this or that place: Go way.
2. to a great degree or at quite a distance; far: way too heavy; way down the road.
Origin:
1175–1225; ME, aph. var. of away
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To way
way   (wā)   
n.  

    1. A road, path, or highway affording passage from one place to another.

    2. An opening affording passage: This door is the only way into the attic.

    3. Space to proceed: cleared the way for the parade.

    4. Opportunity to advance: opened the way to peace.

    5. A specific direction: He glanced my way.

    6. A participant. Often used in combination: a three-way conversation.

    7. An aspect, particular, or feature: resembles his father in many ways; in no way comparable.

    8. Nature or category: not much in the way of a plot.

    1. Space to proceed: cleared the way for the parade.

    2. Opportunity to advance: opened the way to peace.

    3. A specific direction: He glanced my way.

    4. A participant. Often used in combination: a three-way conversation.

    5. An aspect, particular, or feature: resembles his father in many ways; in no way comparable.

    6. Nature or category: not much in the way of a plot.

  3. A course that is or may be used in going from one place to another: tried to find the shortest way home.

  4. Progress or travel along a certain route or in a specific direction: on his way north.

  5. A course of conduct or action: tried to take the easy way out.

  6. A manner or method of doing: several ways of solving this problem; had no way to reach her.

  7. A usual or habitual manner or mode of being, living, or acting: the American way of life.

  8. An individual or personal manner of behaving, acting, or doing: Have it your own way.

  9. also ways (wāz) (used with a sing. verb) Informal Distance: The travelers have come a long way. That village is a good ways off.

    1. A specific direction: He glanced my way.

    2. A participant. Often used in combination: a three-way conversation.

    3. An aspect, particular, or feature: resembles his father in many ways; in no way comparable.

    4. Nature or category: not much in the way of a plot.

    1. An aspect, particular, or feature: resembles his father in many ways; in no way comparable.

    2. Nature or category: not much in the way of a plot.

  12. Freedom to do as one wishes: if I had my way.

  13. An aptitude or facility: She certainly does have a way with words.

  14. A state or condition: He is in a bad way financially.

  15. Vicinity: Drop in when you're out our way.

  16. A longitudinal strip on a surface that serves to guide a moving machine part. Often used in the plural.

  17. ways (used with a sing. or pl. verb) Nautical The structure on which a ship is built and from which it slides when launched.

adv.  

  1. Informal By a great distance or to a great degree; far: way off base; way too expensive.

  2. Slang Very; extremely: "Can they really make a car that's way cool?" (Fortune).

  3. Informal From this place; away: Go way.


[Middle English, from Old English weg; see wegh- in Indo-European roots.]
Synonyms: These nouns refer to paths leading from one place or point to another. Way is the least specific: "Many ways meet in one town" (Shakespeare). We made our way on foot. Show me the way home.
Route refers to a planned, well-established, or regularly traveled way: "Their one purpose of speed over the great ocean routes was achieved by perfect balance of spars and sails to the curving lines of the smooth black hull" (Samuel Eliot Morison).
Course suggests the path or channel taken by something that moves: "earth's diurnal course" (William Wordsworth).
Passage denotes a traversal over, across, or through something: The shortcut was a dark passage between the buildings.
Pass usually refers to a way affording passage around, over, or through a barrier: "They had reached one of those very narrow passes between two tall stones" (George Eliot).
An artery is a main route for the circulation of traffic into which local routes flow: An accident on the central artery backed up traffic for miles. See Also Synonyms at method.
Usage Note: Way has long been an intensifying adverb meaning "to a great degree," as in way over budget. This usage is both acceptable and common but has an informal ring. · Way is also used as a general intensifier, as in way cool and way depressing. This locution has expanded beyond its original range of younger speakers, but it is still regarded as slang. · In American English ways is often used as an equivalent of way in phrases such as a long ways to go. The usage is acceptable but is usually considered informal.
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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Slang Dictionary
way

  1. mod.
    extremely; totally. : Oh, this is way gross!
  2. interj.
    There is too a way!, as an answer to No way! : A: I won't do it. No way! B: Way! Yes, you will.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Word Origin & History

way 
O.E. weg "road, path, course of travel," from P.Gmc. *wegaz (cf. O.S., Du. weg, O.N. vegr, O.Fris. wei, O.H.G. weg, Ger. Weg, Goth. wigs "way"), from PIE *wegh- "to move" (see weigh). Most of the extended senses developed in M.E. Adj. meaning "very, extremely" is early 1980s, perhaps from phrase all the way. Wayfaring is O.E. wegfarende; Ways and means "resources at a person's disposal" is attested from c.1430. Way-out (adj.) "original, bold," is jazz slang, first recorded 1940s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Idioms & Phrases

way

In addition to the idioms beginning with way, also see all the way; by the way; by way of; can't punch one's way out of a paper bag; come a long way; come one's way; cut both ways; downhill all the way; every which way; feel one's way; find one's way; from way back; get one's way; give way; go all the way; go a long way toward; go one's way; go out of one's way; go the way of all flesh; hard way; have a way with; have it both ways; have one's way with; in a bad way; in a big way; in a way; in one's way; in the family way; in the way; in the worst way; know all the answers (one's way around); laugh all the way to the bank; lead the way; look the other way; make one's way; make way; mend one's ways; more than one way to skin a cat; not built that way; no two ways about it; no way; one way or another; on one's way; on the way; on the way out; other way round; out of the way; parting of the ways; pave the way; pay one's way; pick one's way; put in the way of; right of way; rub the wrong way; see one's way to; set in one's ways; show the way; take the wrong way; that's how (the way) the ball bounces; under way; wend one's way; work one's way.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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