passageway

American  

[pas-ij-wey] / ˈpæs ɪdʒˌweɪ /

noun

1. a way for passing into, through, or out of something, as within a building or between buildings; a corridor, hall, alley, catwalk, or the like.

   Synonyms:

   walk, path, access, passage

2. a corridor on a ship.

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passageway British  

/ ˈpæsɪdʒˌweɪ /

noun

1. a way, esp one in or between buildings; passage

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Etymology

Origin of passageway

First recorded in 1640–50; passage ¹ + way ¹

Explanation

A passageway is a hall or a walkway that connects one area to another. You might pass from a small museum through a passageway to an outdoor sculpture garden, for example. Passageways typically connect rooms or buildings to each other, and they're generally walled and slightly narrow. A passageway in a hotel might lead from an elevator to your fancy suite, and a castle might be full of stone passageways leading from room to room, some of them hidden in the walls. This noun is American in origin, from passage and its French root passer, "to go by" and way, "road or path."

Example Sentences

Passageway windows allowed a view into the birds' haven.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2024

Given the high rates of street crime in the 1970s and 1980s, developers began shunning direct access to the subway, and many passages, including the Gimbels Passageway, were closed.

From New York Times • Mar. 16, 2011

In exchange, Vornado agreed to build and maintain transit improvements, including reopening the Gimbels Passageway that connects Herald Square and Penn Station.

From New York Times • Mar. 16, 2011

Related Words

• hallway
• passage
• walkway