airway

[ air-wey ]

noun

1. an air route equipped with emergency landing fields, beacon lights, radio beams, etc.
2. a passageway by which air passes from the nose or mouth to the air sacs of the lungs.
3. Medicine/Medical. a tubelike device used to maintain adequate, unobstructed respiration, as during general anesthesia.
4. any passage in a mine used for purposes of ventilation; an air course.
5. airways,
   1. the band of frequencies, taken collectively, used by radio broadcasting stations:

      The news was sent out over the airways immediately.

   2. airwaves.
   3. airline ( def 1c ).

airway

/ ˈɛəˌweɪ /

noun

1. an air route, esp one that is fully equipped with emergency landing fields, navigational aids, etc
2. a passage for ventilation, esp in a mine
3. a passage down which air travels from the nose or mouth to the lungs
4. med a tubelike device inserted via the throat to keep open the airway of an unconscious patient

Word History and Origins

Origin of airway¹

First recorded in 1905–10; air ¹ + way ¹

Example Sentences

At two months old, he had his first major surgery, a tracheostomy - a hole in his windpipe to give him an alternative airway for breathing.

From BBC

"Or on a clinic day, I will see some 20 patients and I'm often the doctor who will be asked to help if people have life-threatening problems with their airways."

From BBC

The study, published in the journal Addiction, warned about side effects including airway compromise and skin ulcers - or “tissue necrosis” - which can lead to limb amputation.

From BBC

Increases in ozone are important because ground-level ozone can cause a wide array of health problems, including decreased lung function and inflammation of airways, contributing to hundreds of thousands of deaths each year.

From Science Daily

As Peyton's symptoms persisted, the toddler showed discomfort as she scratched her nose, further leading her parents to believe she had something trapped in her airway.

From BBC