seaway
Americannoun
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a way over the sea.
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the open sea.
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the progress of a ship through the waves.
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a more or less rough sea.
a hard vessel to steer in a seaway.
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a canal, enlarged river, etc., giving access to a landlocked port by oceangoing vessels.
noun
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a waterway giving access to an inland port, navigable by ocean-going ships
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a vessel's progress
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a rough or heavy sea
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a route across the sea
Etymology
Origin of seaway
before 1000; Middle English seewey, Old English sǣweg. See sea, way 1
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.
"So we were on the beach here. This area was part of that seaway, and streams and rivers that drained into that beach would be great habitat for these kinds of organisms," Adams said.
From Science Daily • Jan. 10, 2026
As freshwater input grew, the seaway gradually changed from salty to brackish and eventually to mostly freshwater, similar to conditions seen today in the Gulf of Bothnia.
From Science Daily • Dec. 15, 2025
When the strike began, seaway management said over 100 vessels outside the system were affected, but that number was expected to grow as the strike goes on.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 26, 2023
In November, 27 people drowned when their small rubber dinghy deflated, and many others have needed to be rescued from the narrow seaway, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.
From Reuters • Jun. 8, 2022
The ice of the Arctic knew them—riding out the bitter northern gales in their small seaworthy drifters, thrashing and pitching in the seaway, to hold a post in the chain of our sea-communications.
From Merchantmen-at-arms : the British merchants' service in the war by Bone, David W. (David William)
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.
