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• lane
  lane

  noun

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

  noun

  a male given name.

lane

¹ American  

[layn] / leɪn /

noun

• lanes
  plural

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  

[layn] / leɪn /

adjective

1. lone.

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idioms

1. by one's lane. lonesome.

Lane ³ American  

[layn] / 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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Synonym Usage

See path.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• lanes
  plural

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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”

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Explanation

A lane is a relatively narrow street or road. Most country lanes never get backed up with rush hour traffic. There's the kind of lane that meanders through wooded, hilly countryside, and then there's the lane that's one particular row of traffic on the a busier road. This second kind of lane is sometimes just one of many options, like on an eight-lane highway. You might also choose a lane in a swimming pool, if you swim competitively or among many lap swimmers.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lane Lane lanes

It is also the subject of a lawsuit under Measure HLA that claims it requires a designated bike lane.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

Fifty-three of those restaurants included a Chipotlane, a digital-order drive-through pickup lane that the company said continues to perform well.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

Faster lane speeds and the growing number of interconnects needed for AI data centers should continue to drive demand for optics, Daryanani said.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026

The two lanes closest to the cliff remain closed, with traffic routed on the remaining two lanes, with one lane in each direction.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2026

As I slowly hobbled my way back down the path and out onto the dusty lane, I could hear Mrs. Maroney calling, “Charity Englehart! Where is Miss Charity? I need her to entertain Flora. Now!”

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Germany’s Isabel Schnabel is stepping down early as the executive board member responsible for markets, while Ireland’s Philip Lane is soon to leave his position as chief economist.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

NOTE: Daltrey is not responsible for the abomination that is “Squeeze Box,” that we have to blame on Ronnie Lane, who was enchanted by it.

From Salon ● Nov. 3, 2026

“You know the phrase giving the bum’s rush? That’s what it feels like to me,” Lane, 78, said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026

Detectives would be able to prove, via watch and phone data, that his car had stopped on Wet Gate Lane in Lymm a short time after the collision.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

For his part, Chip kept finding excuses to ride past 1873 Robin’s Egg Lane.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

They’ve got really well-kept lanes and a pro shop.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

In its listing description, the dwelling, which sits on 0.9 acres, was described as being located on “one of the most coveted” lanes in its community, offering “8,000 square feet of carefully designed perfection.”

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026

As of 4:20 p.m., several lanes remained closed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

With the Iran war threatening key energy infrastructure and shipping lanes, producers are increasingly looking beyond their borders to keep crude flowing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026

Just down the road, Highway 80 narrowed from four lanes to two.

From "Because They Marched" by Russell Freedman

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Related Words

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• street
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