seaway

[ see-wey ]

noun

1. a way over the sea.
2. the open sea.
3. the progress of a ship through the waves.
4. a more or less rough sea:

   a hard vessel to steer in a seaway.

5. a canal, enlarged river, etc., giving access to a landlocked port by oceangoing vessels.

seaway

/ ˈsiːˌweɪ /

noun

1. a waterway giving access to an inland port, navigable by ocean-going ships
2. a vessel's progress
3. a rough or heavy sea
4. a route across the sea

Word History and Origins

Origin of seaway¹

before 1000; Middle English seewey, Old English sǣweg. See sea, way ¹

Example Sentences

Mumbai has been given a makeover: Suspension bridges span its seaways, as well as its infamous slums, and new metro lines have been carved beneath its Art Deco and Indo-Saracenic facades and rumbling commuter railways.

From New York Times

A vast seaway with swift currents separated North and South America, and most animals were unable to cross -- with a few notable exceptions.

From Science Daily

They're also the oldest bat fossils from Central America, preserved 20-million years ago when Panama and the rest of North America were separated from southern landmass by a seaway at least 120 miles wide.

From Science Daily

Under one scenario the collapse would have allowed three of the populations to come together once again via seaways, leaving the East Antarctica octopuses isolated.

From Science Magazine

The accident, in which 27 people including a 7-year-old girl died, is the worst on record involving migrants in the narrow seaway separating France and Britain.

From Reuters

Related Words

• sea
• tide