Standard Lemma guide

seaway

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • rhymes with -iːweɪ
  • CMU ARPABET: S IY1 W EY2 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A lane or route at sea that is regularly used by ships; a sea lane or trade route.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: nautical, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An inland waterway used by seagoing shipping.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: nautical, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The headway of a vessel.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: nautical, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a lane at sea that is a regularly used route for vessels

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sea lane, ship route, trade route

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: lane

Narrower terms: Saint Lawrence Seaway, St. Lawrence Seaway

History

Etymology

From Middle English seewey, from Old English sǣweġ (“a seaway, a path through the sea”), equivalent to sea + way. Compare Saterland Frisian Seegong (“seaway, swell”), German Seegang (“seaway, swell”).

Across languages

Translations

9 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Southern Altai: талай јол (talay ǰol) — route at sea that is regularly used by ships
  • Southern Altai: теҥис јол (teŋis ǰol) — route at sea that is regularly used by ships
  • Finnish: laivareitti — route at sea that is regularly used by ships
  • German: Seeweg — route at sea that is regularly used by ships
  • Hebrew: נָתִיב יַמִּי (nativ yami) — route at sea that is regularly used by ships
  • Italian: rotta — route at sea that is regularly used by ships
  • Italian: tragitto — route at sea that is regularly used by ships
  • Italian: percorso — route at sea that is regularly used by ships
  • Māori: ara moana — route at sea that is regularly used by ships