waterway
/ˈwoːtəwæɪ/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.18 in modern English
17
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A body of water, such as a river, channel or canal, that is navigable.
noun
A conduit or watercourse, such as on the deck of a ship, to drain water.
Example Sentences
- "As hundreds of volunteers and police scoured parks and waterways in an area of New Orleans Tuesday, there were many questions but few answers about the disappearance 11 days ago of a 26-year-old teacher."
- "Oil and liquefied natural gas tankers moving through the Strait of Hormuz carry around 20% of the world’s supply. But for countries on the Persian Gulf, the waterway is more than just an energy route – it’s a lifeline for more than 100 million people."
Etymology
From Middle English waterwey, from Old English wæterweġ (“waterway”), from Proto-West Germanic *watarweg, equivalent to water + way. Compare Saterland Frisian Woaterwai (“waterway”), West Frisian wetterwei (“waterway”), Dutch waterweg (“waterway”), German Wasserweg (“waterway”), Danish vandvej (“waterway”), Swedish vattenväg (“waterway”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: waterwey, wæterweġ, *watarweg
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈwoːtəwæɪ/
- British English: /ˈwɔːtəweɪ/