runway English · revision 15060

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=1828}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈrʌn.weɪ/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed from [[run]] and [[way]].^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The usual track of an animal, especially of deer, in American English: 1828 in Merriam-Webster, 1833 in Etymonline and the OED.^(MWU 2024)^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ A place for fowls to run is from 1871, the bed of a stream from 1874,^(OED 1989) and an artificial sloping or level track from 1883.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) A groove in which something slides is from 1890.^(OED 1989) The airfield sense, a prepared surface for taking off and landing, is by 1923.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1828 – an animal's track (US).^(MWU 2024)

+ * 1874 – a stream bed.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1883 – an artificial track.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1923 – an airfield runway.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A strip of level, usually paved ground on which aircraft take off and land.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A narrow platform reaching from a stage into the audience, as at a fashion show; a [[catwalk]].^(Collins 2023)

+ # A path or track over which something runs.^(AHD)

+ # The channel of a stream.^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+ # ''(US, Canada)'' A chute down which logs are slid.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[run]]

+ * [[way]]

+ * [[airstrip]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}