airway

American  

[air-wey] / ˈɛərˌweɪ /

noun

1. an air route equipped with emergency landing fields, beacon lights, radio beams, etc.

2. a passageway by which air passes from the nose or mouth to the air sacs of the lungs.

3. Medicine/Medical. a tubelike device used to maintain adequate, unobstructed respiration, as during general anesthesia.

4. any passage in a mine used for purposes of ventilation; an air course.

5. airways,

   1. the band of frequencies, taken collectively, used by radio broadcasting stations.

      The news was sent out over the airways immediately.

   2. airwaves.

   3. airline.

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airway British  

/ ˈɛəˌweɪ /

noun

1. an air route, esp one that is fully equipped with emergency landing fields, navigational aids, etc

2. a passage for ventilation, esp in a mine

3. a passage down which air travels from the nose or mouth to the lungs

4. med a tubelike device inserted via the throat to keep open the airway of an unconscious patient

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Etymology

Origin of airway

First recorded in 1905–10; air ¹ + way ¹

Example Sentences

For years, Gracie lived with plastic bronchitis, a condition that causes thick, protein-like material to build up in the airways.

From Science Daily

The condition means her airway is too small, making it difficult for her to breathe, and has led to repeated hospital stays throughout her life.

From BBC

The pop star revealed she has had to listen to herself over the plane airways once when she went on a Jet2 holiday to the Greek island Corfu with her family.

From BBC

Patients with asthma showed a median 56% reduction in fractional exhaled nitric oxide, indicating reduced airway inflammation.

From Barron's

This can come from secondary infections like bronchitis, which inflame the airways, or the extra build-up of phlegm in your nose and sinuses.

From BBC