seaway
Americannoun
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a way over the sea.
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the open sea.
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the progress of a ship through the waves.
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a more or less rough sea.
a hard vessel to steer in a seaway.
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a canal, enlarged river, etc., giving access to a landlocked port by oceangoing vessels.
noun
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a waterway giving access to an inland port, navigable by ocean-going ships
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a vessel's progress
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a rough or heavy sea
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a route across the sea
Etymology
Origin of seaway
before 1000; Middle English seewey, Old English sǣweg. See sea, way 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"So we were on the beach here. This area was part of that seaway, and streams and rivers that drained into that beach would be great habitat for these kinds of organisms," Adams said.
From Science Daily • Jan. 10, 2026
As freshwater input grew, the seaway gradually changed from salty to brackish and eventually to mostly freshwater, similar to conditions seen today in the Gulf of Bothnia.
From Science Daily • Dec. 15, 2025
“And so Great Lakes ports and unions are urging the Canadian government to intercede directly and hasten a resolution to this dispute that reopens the seaway to full function immediately.”
From Seattle Times • Oct. 26, 2023
The accident was the worst disaster on record involving migrants in the narrow seaway separating Britain from mainland Europe.
From Reuters • May 25, 2023
The gangways were lowered, and they scraped and rebounded upon the high parapet of the mole as the Vindictive rolled in the seaway.
From Winning a Cause World War Stories by Bigwood, Inez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
