way

n. [ OE. wey, way, AS. weg; akin to OS., D., OHG., & G. weg, Icel. vegr, Sw. väg, Dan. vei, Goth. wigs, L. via, and AS. wegan to move, L. vehere to carry, Skr. vah. √136. Cf. Convex, Inveigh, Vehicle, Vex, Via, Voyage, Wag, Wagon, Wee, Weigh. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. That by, upon, or along, which one passes or processes; opportunity or room to pass; place of passing; passage; road, street, track, or path of any kind; as, they built a way to the mine. “To find the way to heaven.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

I shall him seek by way and eke by street. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

The way seems difficult, and steep to scale. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

The season and ways were very improper for his majesty's forces to march so great a distance. Evelyn. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Length of space; distance; interval; as, a great way; a long way. [ 1913 Webster ]

And whenever the way seemed long,
Or his heart began to fail. Longfellow. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A moving; passage; procession; journey. [ 1913 Webster ]

I prythee, now, lead the way. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Course or direction of motion or process; tendency of action; advance. [ 1913 Webster ]

If that way be your walk, you have not far. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

And let eternal justice take the way. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. The means by which anything is reached, or anything is accomplished; scheme; device; plan. [ 1913 Webster ]

My best way is to creep under his gaberdine. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

By noble ways we conquest will prepare. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

What impious ways my wishes took! Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. Manner; method; mode; fashion; style; as, the way of expressing one's ideas. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. Regular course; habitual method of life or action; plan of conduct; mode of dealing. “Having lost the way of nobleness.” Sir. P. Sidney. [ 1913 Webster ]

Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. Prov. iii. 17. [ 1913 Webster ]

When men lived in a grander way. Longfellow. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. Sphere or scope of observation. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

The public ministers that fell in my way. Sir W. Temple. [ 1913 Webster ]

9. Determined course; resolved mode of action or conduct; as, to have one's way. [ 1913 Webster ]

10. (Naut.) (a) Progress; as, a ship has way. (b) pl. The timbers on which a ship is launched. [ 1913 Webster ]

11. pl. (Mach.) The longitudinal guides, or guiding surfaces, on the bed of a planer, lathe, or the like, along which a table or carriage moves. [ 1913 Webster ]

12. (Law) Right of way. See below. [ 1913 Webster ]

By the way, in passing; apropos; aside; apart from, though connected with, the main object or subject of discourse. --
By way of, for the purpose of; as being; in character of. --
Covert way. (Fort.) See Covered way, under Covered. --
In the family way. See under Family. --
In the way, so as to meet, fall in with, obstruct, hinder, etc. --
In the way with, traveling or going with; meeting or being with; in the presence of. --
Milky way. (Astron.) See Galaxy, 1. --
No way,
No ways. See Noway, Noways, in the Vocabulary. --
On the way, traveling or going; hence, in process; advancing toward completion; as, on the way to this country; on the way to success. --
Out of the way. See under Out. --
Right of way (Law), a right of private passage over another's ground. It may arise either by grant or prescription. It may be attached to a house, entry, gate, well, or city lot, as well as to a country farm. Kent. --
To be under way, or
To have way (Naut.), to be in motion, as when a ship begins to move. --
To give way. See under Give. --
To go one's way, or
To come one's way, to go or come; to depart or come along. Shak. --
To go one's way to proceed in a manner favorable to one; -- of events. --
To come one's way to come into one's possession (of objects) or to become available, as an opportunity; as, good things will come your way. --
To go the way of all the earth or
to go the way of all flesh to die. --
To make one's way, to advance in life by one's personal efforts. --
To make way. See under Make, v. t. --
Ways and means. (a) Methods; resources; facilities. (b) (Legislation) Means for raising money; resources for revenue. --
Way leave, permission to cross, or a right of way across, land; also, rent paid for such right. [ Eng ] --
Way of the cross (Eccl.), the course taken in visiting in rotation the stations of the cross. See Station, n., 7 (c). --
Way of the rounds (Fort.), a space left for the passage of the rounds between a rampart and the wall of a fortified town. --
Way pane, a pane for cartage in irrigated land. See Pane, n., 4. [ Prov. Eng. ] --
Way passenger, a passenger taken up, or set down, at some intermediate place between the principal stations on a line of travel. --
Ways of God, his providential government, or his works. --
Way station, an intermediate station between principal stations on a line of travel, especially on a railroad. --
Way train, a train which stops at the intermediate, or way, stations; an accommodation train. --
Way warden, the surveyor of a road. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Street; highway; road. -- Way, Street, Highway, Road. Way is generic, denoting any line for passage or conveyance; a highway is literally one raised for the sake of dryness and convenience in traveling; a road is, strictly, a way for horses and carriages; a street is, etymologically, a paved way, as early made in towns and cities; and, hence, the word is distinctively applied to roads or highways in compact settlements. [ 1913 Webster ]

All keep the broad highway, and take delight
With many rather for to go astray. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

There is but one road by which to climb up. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

When night
Darkens the streets, then wander forth the sons
Of Belial, flown with insolence and wine. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]