subway

[ suhb-wey ]

noun

1. alsocalledcomma especially British, tube, underground. an underground electric railroad, usually in a large city.
2. Chiefly British. a short tunnel or underground passageway for pedestrians, automobiles, etc.; underpass.

verb (used without object)

1. to be transported by a subway:

   We subwayed uptown.

subway

/ ˈsʌbˌweɪ /

noun

1. an underground passage or tunnel enabling pedestrians to cross a road, railway, etc
2. an underground passage or tunnel for traffic, electric power supplies, etc
3. an underground railway

Word History and Origins

Origin of subway¹

First recorded in 1820–30; sub- + way ¹

Example Sentences

The resemblance to the former One Direction star means he often gets "stopped by groups of girls on the subway or the street".

From BBC

There is even a subway — though New Yorkers would accurately argue that it does not compare.

From Los Angeles Times

The European city’s more-than-a-century-old subway became the transit workhorse of the Olympic Games, with trains pulling in every few minutes emptying out crowded stations and moving spectators quickly from stadiums and pop-up venues.

From Los Angeles Times

In hearing Kuhn’s edict, my mind flipped back to my anticipatory excitement when I’d ridden the subway from my office in midtown Manhattan to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx that Monday afternoon.

From Los Angeles Times

With a crash, her drink flies into the air and the 17-year-old falls head-first down a metal staircase, landing with a sickening thud on a subway floor.

From BBC

Related Words

• metro
• underground