runway

American  

[ruhn-wey] / ˈrʌnˌweɪ /

noun

1. a way along which something runs.

2. a paved or cleared strip on which planes land and take off.

3. a similar strip on which cars, trucks, or the like may park, load, or enter the stream of traffic.

4. the beaten track or habitual path of deer or other wild animals.

5. a fairly large enclosure in which domestic animals may range about.

   a runway for dogs.

6. the bed of a stream.

7. Bowling. approach.

8. a narrow platform or ramp extending from a stage into the orchestra pit or into an aisle, as in a theater.

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runway British  

/ ˈrʌnˌweɪ /

noun

1. a hard level roadway or other surface from which aircraft take off and on which they land

2. an enclosure for domestic animals; run

3. forestry a chute for sliding logs down

4. a narrow ramp extending from the stage into the audience in a theatre, nightclub, etc, esp as used by models in a fashion show

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Etymology

Origin of runway

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35; run + way ¹

Example Sentences

On one where Armstrong flew above Earth’s atmosphere, he struggled to trigger a safety system designed to limit the intense forces pilots experience and overshot his runway by about 45 miles, ending up over Pasadena.

From Los Angeles Times

“Nah, I’m good,” I reply as the plane taxis to the runway.

From Literature

Quebec lawmakers demanded that Michael Rousseau step down after he spoke about the LaGuardia runway accident in English, not French.

From The Wall Street Journal

In that incident, an Air Canada jet ran into an emergency vehicle on the runway that was racing to deal with a potential fume event on a United Airlines flight.

From The Wall Street Journal

A deadly Air Canada runway crash in New York has drawn attention to a rising number of close calls.

From Barron's

Related Words

• airstrip
• path
• platform
• ramp
• road
• tarmac