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• lane
  lane

  noun

  a narrow way or passage between hedges, fences, walls, or houses.
• Lane
  Lane

  noun

  a male given name.

lane

¹ American  

[leyn] / leɪn /

noun

1. a narrow way or passage between hedges, fences, walls, or houses.

   Synonyms:

   alley

2. any narrow or well-defined passage, track, channel, or course.

3. a longitudinally marked part of a highway wide enough to accommodate one vehicle, often set off from adjacent lanes by painted lines (often used in combination).

   a new six-lane turnpike.

4. a fixed route followed by ocean steamers or airplanes.

5. (in a running or swimming race) the marked-off space or path within which a competitor must remain during the course of a race.

6. a long, narrow wooden track that a ball rolls down in a game of bowling.

7. an area of interest or expertise that is associated with a person or group whose contributions or authority in that area are respected.

   Teen magazines should stay in their lane and stick to publishing articles about relationships, style, and beauty.

8. Politics. an affiliation or faction that presents one path to nomination or election victory for candidates who espouse that ideology or embody its ideals.

   The libertarian candidates siphoned voters away from the conservative establishment lane in the primary.

9. (in a MOBA video game) one of the major arteries on the map between the two strongholds in which the fighting between characters occurs.

   Our strategy is to push with a support character in the top lane.

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lane ² American  

[leyn] / leɪn /

adjective

1. lone.

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idioms

1. by one's lane. lonesome.

Lane ³ American  

[leyn] / leɪn /

noun

1. a male given name.

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lane ¹ British  

/ leɪn /

noun

1. 1. a narrow road or way between buildings, hedges, fences, etc

   2. ( capital as part of a street name )

      Drury Lane

2. 1. any of the parallel strips into which the carriageway of a major road or motorway is divided

   2. any narrow well-defined route or course for ships or aircraft

3. one of the parallel strips into which a running track or swimming bath is divided for races

4. the long strip of wooden flooring down which balls are bowled in a bowling alley

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lane ² British  

/ leɪn /

adjective

1. lone or alone

2. on one's own

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lane More Idioms  

1. see fast lane; lovers' lane.

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Synonym Usage

See path.

Etymology

Origin of lane

First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Dutch laan “avenue,” Old Norse lǫn “oblong hayrick, row of houses”

Explanation

A lane is a relatively narrow street or road. Most country lanes never get backed up with rush hour traffic. There's the kind of lane that meanders through wooded, hilly countryside, and then there's the lane that's one particular row of traffic on the a busier road. This second kind of lane is sometimes just one of many options, like on an eight-lane highway. You might also choose a lane in a swimming pool, if you swim competitively or among many lap swimmers.

Example Sentences

And what happens if some punk in the next lane sees the SS badge and wants to have a go?

From The Wall Street Journal • May 30, 2026

Iran would commit to demining the Strait within 30 days so traffic can be unrestricted and untolled, though the U.S. would expect more commercial ships to flow through the Strait’s southern lane immediately.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

Officers were seen patrolling the cordon and shouted at several cyclists who at one point attempted to pass through a cycle lane within the cordon.

From BBC • May 23, 2026

At Intuit Dome in Inglewood, visitors can use “GameFaceID” to quickly move through a separate lane with their face as their ID.

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026

As I slowly hobbled my way back down the path and out onto the dusty lane, I could hear Mrs. Maroney calling, “Charity Englehart! Where is Miss Charity? I need her to entertain Flora. Now!”

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Related Words

• artery
• avenue
• boulevard
• expressway
• highway
• pathway
• roadway
• route
• street
• thoroughfare