airway

A1I1R1W4A1Y4
UK/ˈɛə.weɪ/US/ˈɛɚ.weɪ/US/ɛɹ.weɪ/Australia/ˈeː.wæɪ/

noun

The trachea.

Less commonScrabble 12

Meanings

nounairway (plural airways)

plural airways

  1. anatomyThe trachea.

    Synonyms: trachea, windpipe

  2. in pluralanatomyThe trachea and bronchial tree.

    The burners on gas stoves release pollutants including nitrogen dioxide, a key element in smog that can irritate airways and may contribute to the development of asthma, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

    2024 May 23, Michael Copley, “A lawsuit accuses a gas stove manufacturer of failing to warn consumers about pollution risks”, in NPR
    1 more example

    David Williams, a scientist who evaluates antivenoms for WHO, says the biggest risk to people who are bitten by these snakes is paralysis, "which can prevent them from being able to control their airway and breathing and they can potentially suffocate and die as a result of that."

    2025 May 2, Ari Daniel, “He let snakes bite him some 200 times to create a better snakebite antivenom”, in NPR
  3. aeronauticsA flight path used by aeroplanes.

    But British Airways Flight 112 made the trek in under five hours, setting a new record for the fastest subsonic commercial flight across the Atlantic Ocean.

    2020 February 9, Alina Selyukh, “British Airways Sets Record, Crossing The Atlantic In Under 5 Hours In Strong Winds”, in NPR
  4. businessA roadway used for ventilation.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe trachea.

More synonyms by meaning

nouna duct that provides ventilation (as in mines)

Similar
air passageair duct
Broader

nouna designated route followed by airplanes in flying from one airport to another

nounthe passages through which air enters and leaves the body

Broader

nouna commercial enterprise that provides scheduled flights for passengers

Similar
airlineairline business
Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ews-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ewsér
  3. Proto-Hellenic*auhḗr
  4. Ancient Greekᾱ̓ήρ (āḗr)
  5. Latināēr
  6. Old Frenchair
  7. Middle Englishaire
  8. Englishair
  9. Proto-Indo-European*weǵʰ-
  10. Proto-Germanic*wegaz
  11. Proto-West Germanic*weg
  12. Old Englishweġ
  13. Middle Englishwey
  14. Englishway
  15. Englishairway

From air + way.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 空中航線 /空中航线
  • 空中航線 /空中航线 (kōngzhōng hángxiàn)flight path used by aeroplanes
Esperanto aervojo
  • aervojoflight path used by aeroplanes
Finnish lentoreitti
  • lentoreittiflight path used by aeroplanes
French route aérienne
  • route aérienneflight path used by aeroplanes
German Flugroute
  • Flugrouteflight path used by aeroplanes
Irish aerbhealach
  • aerbhealachflight path used by aeroplanes
Japanese 航空路
  • 航空路 (kōkūro)flight path used by aeroplanes
Māori ararangi
  • ararangiflight path used by aeroplanes
Polish linia lotnicza
  • linia lotniczaflight path used by aeroplanes
Portuguese aerovia, rota aeronáutica
  • aeroviaflight path used by aeroplanes
  • rota aeronáuticaflight path used by aeroplanes
Russian возду́шная тра́сса
  • возду́шная тра́сса (vozdúšnaja trássa)flight path used by aeroplanes
Spanish aerovía, vía/ruta aérea/aeronáutica
  • aerovíaflight path used by aeroplanes
  • vía/ruta aérea/aeronáuticaflight path used by aeroplanes

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with airway

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

airway. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/airway

MLA

“airway.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/airway. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “airway,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/airway.

Source: airway on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.