waterway

[waw-ter-wey, wot-er-]

noun

1. a river, canal, or other body of water serving as a route or way of travel or transport.

2. Shipbuilding.,  (in a steel or iron vessel) a depressed gutter at the edge of the deck inside the bulwarks, used especially when the decking is wooden.

3. a channel for vessels, as a fairway in a harbor.

waterway

/ ˈwɔːtəˌweɪ /

noun

1. a river, canal, or other navigable channel used as a means of travel or transport

Word History and Origins

Origin of waterway¹

before 950; Middle English; Old English wæterweg. See water, way ¹

Example Sentences

The Bosporus, a major waterway in Turkey for commodities including Russian oil exported from the Black Sea, has been open for commercial traffic throughout most of the war in Ukraine.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Water Minister Emma Hardy said: "These changes sit alongside our wider action to clean up our waterways so communities across the country can enjoy the places they care about most."

Read more on BBC

That waterway continues to be in shortage, with its largest reservoir only about one-third full.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Eel populations are falling worldwide, scientists say, largely due to factors linked to human activity such as the pollution of waterways, destruction of wetlands, hydroelectric dams, and fishing.

Read more on Barron's

Cleanup was underway Wednesday in a wooded, remote area of Ventura County after about 420 gallons of crude oil inundated a waterway, officials said, and crews were working to beat the upcoming storm.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• artery 
• avenue 
• boulevard 
• causeway 
• expressway 
• freeway 
• highway 
• lane 
• street