way station

American  

noun

1. a station intermediate between principal stations, as on a railroad.

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Etymology

Origin of way station

An Americanism dating back to 1775–85

Example Sentences

Tunisia's lakes and coastal lagoons are parched and overheating, endangering a delicate ecosystem and disrupting the vast flocks of migrating birds that use the wetlands as a way station between Africa and Europe.

From Reuters • Aug. 15, 2023

The next year, Yeltsin tapped him as prime minister, a way station to the presidency.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2023

Aswan, the Egyptian city closest to the border with Sudan, has become a way station for tens of thousands of Sudanese fleeing fighting between Sudan’s military and rival paramilitary force.

From Seattle Times • May 14, 2023

The European Space Agency, meanwhile, is contributing to NASA’s effort to build the Gateway lunar station, which will serve as a way station for future crews on their way to the lunar surface.

From New York Times • Mar. 7, 2023

What if we are each other’s in-between people, a way station on the road to someplace else?

From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon