right of way

or right-of-way

noun, plural rights of way, right of ways.

a common law or statutory right granted to a vehicle, as an airplane or boat, to proceed ahead of another.

a path or route that may lawfully be used.

a right of passage, as over another's land.

the strip of land acquired for use by a railroad for tracks.

land covered by a public road.

land over which a power line passes.

Fencing. the right to attack or continue an attack, and thus to be credited with a hit, by virtue of having first extended the sword arm or having parried the opponent's attack.

Origin of right of way

First recorded in 1760–70

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for right-way

access, approach, inlet

British Dictionary definitions for right-way

right of way

noun plural rights of way

the right of one vehicle or vessel to take precedence over another, as laid down by law or custom

the legal right of someone to pass over another's land, acquired by grant or by long usage
the path or road used by this right

US the strip of land over which a power line, railway line, road, etc, extends

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with right-way

right of way

The right of one person or vehicle to travel over another's property, as in The new owner doesn't like it, but hikers have had the right of way through these woods for decades. [Mid-1700s]

The right to precede another person or vehicle, as in Sailboats always have the right of way over motorboats, and swimmers do over any kind of boat. [Early 1900s]