causeway
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to pave (a road or street) with cobblestones or pebbles.
-
to provide with a causeway.
noun
-
a raised path or road crossing water, marshland, sand, etc
-
a paved footpath
-
a road surfaced with setts
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of causeway
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at causey, way 1
Explanation
A causeway is a raised road that crosses a body of water or very low, wet ground. If an island has a causeway, you won't need to take a boat to get there. Causeways are built atop an embankment, a heap of soil raising the roadway (or train track) above the ground. A causeway itself is made of earth, wood, concrete, or stone, providing a solid surface for vehicles. Ancient causeways were compressed by the feet of humans or animals, with layers of soil added until they were high and compact enough to be useful. The word comes from the Latin calx, "heel," from the notion of stamping down on the earth.
Vocabulary lists containing causeway
Aztec, Maya, and Inca Empires - Introductory
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Aztec, Maya, and Inca Empires - Middle School and High School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Early Americas and European Exploration, Lessons 1–2
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Dave Shaw, 37, of Dave’s Walks has silently led me on languid explorations of the United Kingdom; across the cobblestone causeway to Cornwall’s St. Michael’s Mount, and along the clifftops of North Devon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 4, 2026
Illustrations from the era show Malinche, serving as translator, as a prominent figure during Cortés’ epochal meeting with Moctezuma on Nov. 8, 1519, on a causeway leading to Tenochtitlán.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 25, 2026
At the Auckland Outboard Boating Club, members were having a Wednesday-night drink when one of them noticed a Zodiac lying abandoned on the causeway.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2025
What was once Great Britain is now a quarantined island, cut off from the mainland and protected by an armed causeway that can only be accessed during low tide.
From Salon ● Jun. 20, 2025
Finally Blanche, Jeanne, Jacob, William, Gwenforte, and I are lying on the causeway, heaving for breath, snorting up sand, staring at the blue sky streaked with red and gold.
From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz
With majestic temples, markets and pyramids linked by canals and causeways, Tenochtitlan was home at its peak to some 200,000 people.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Television’s Memory Lane has as many versions as there are Atlanta streets named Peachtree, with only a few of those causeways seeing heavy traffic.
From Salon ● Oct. 13, 2023
It was a massive island city with large causeways that connected it to the shores of the lake.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023
Rescue missions were ongoing, especially to Florida’s barrier islands, which were cut off from the mainland when storm surges destroyed causeways and bridges.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 2, 2022
Puzzlingly, the causeways and canals are not present in every area.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
