lane

¹ American  

[leyn] / leɪn /

noun

1. a narrow way or passage between hedges, fences, walls, or houses.

   Synonyms:

   alley

2. any narrow or well-defined passage, track, channel, or course.

3. a longitudinally marked part of a highway wide enough to accommodate one vehicle, often set off from adjacent lanes by painted lines (often used in combination).

   a new six-lane turnpike.

4. a fixed route followed by ocean steamers or airplanes.

5. (in a running or swimming race) the marked-off space or path within which a competitor must remain during the course of a race.

6. a long, narrow wooden track that a ball rolls down in a game of bowling.

7. an area of interest or expertise that is associated with a person or group whose contributions or authority in that area are respected.

   Teen magazines should stay in their lane and stick to publishing articles about relationships, style, and beauty.

8. Politics. an affiliation or faction that presents one path to nomination or election victory for candidates who espouse that ideology or embody its ideals.

   The libertarian candidates siphoned voters away from the conservative establishment lane in the primary.

9. (in a MOBA video game) one of the major arteries on the map between the two strongholds in which the fighting between characters occurs.

   Our strategy is to push with a support character in the top lane.

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lane ² American  

[leyn] / leɪn /

adjective

1. lone.

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idioms

1. by one's lane. lonesome.

Lane ³ American  

[leyn] / leɪn /

noun

1. a male given name.

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lane ¹ British  

/ leɪn /

noun

1. 1. a narrow road or way between buildings, hedges, fences, etc

   2. ( capital as part of a street name )

      Drury Lane

2. 1. any of the parallel strips into which the carriageway of a major road or motorway is divided

   2. any narrow well-defined route or course for ships or aircraft

3. one of the parallel strips into which a running track or swimming bath is divided for races

4. the long strip of wooden flooring down which balls are bowled in a bowling alley

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lane ² British  

/ leɪn /

adjective

1. lone or alone

2. on one's own

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lane More Idioms  

1. see fast lane; lovers' lane.

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Related Words

See path.

Etymology

Origin of lane

First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Dutch laan “avenue,” Old Norse lǫn “oblong hayrick, row of houses”

Example Sentences

Nearby are vital submarine lanes, and the island hosts U.S. missile-defense radars that protect the homeland.

From The Wall Street Journal

Sam recounts how one of his customers complained about getting a ticket for driving in a bus lane on the way to the restaurant.

From BBC

In Santa Barbara County, workers reopened all lanes of the 101 Freeway on Sunday afternoon after heavy precipitation triggered a series of mudslides, sending dirt and water onto the freeway.

From Los Angeles Times

Thursday’s rainfall triggered flooding along the 5 Freeway in the San Fernando Valley, prompting officials to close lanes for several hours.

From Los Angeles Times

These convoys also had to battle the polar ice, which crept south in winter, narrowing the sea lanes between the icepack and the German bases in Norway.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• artery
• avenue
• boulevard
• expressway
• highway
• pathway
• roadway
• route
• street
• thoroughfare