airway

noun air·way \ -ˌwā \

|Updated on: 8 Jun 2018

Definition of airway

1 : a passage for a current of air (as in a mine or to the lungs)

2 : a designated route along which airplanes fly from airport to airport; especially : such a route equipped with navigational aids

3 : airline

4 : a channel of a designated radio frequency for broadcasting or other radio communication

See airway defined for English-language learners

See airway defined for kids

Examples of airway in a Sentence

a patient with a partially blocked airway

Recent Examples of airway from the Web

Dry drowning occurs when a child inhales water through the nose or mouth, causing a spasm in the airway and difficulty breathing.

— salil pradhan, md, USA TODAY, "Ask a Doc: What's the difference between dry drowning and secondary drowning?," 1 June 2018
But the new study suggests that prolonged exposure to lunar dust might impair airway and lung function, leading to more severe illnesses like bronchitis.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "Lunar Dust Might Pose Severe Health Risks to Future Human Colonies on the Moon," 10 May 2018
This is a very effective way to wash the pollens and air pollutants out of our nasal airway.

— ashley weatherford, The Cut, "Your Allergy Season Survival Guide," 11 Apr. 2018
House Republicans poured cash onto the Pittsburgh airways and into get-out-the-vote programs.

— eric bradner, CNN, "'The world is watching': GOP braces for potential upset in Pennsylvania special election," 12 Mar. 2018
Inscope developed a medical device to help doctors more accurately insert tubes into patients' airway who need a ventilator to help breath during surgeries and emergencies.

— grace schneider, The Courier-Journal, "AOL co-founder Steve Case visits Louisville to promote local startups," 11 May 2018
Some people are also simply more susceptible to vog than others, Tam says, adding that everything from the shape of an individual’s upper airway to his or her levels of congestion could influence reactions to vog.

— jamie ducharme, Time, "The Kilauea Eruption Has People Worried About Volcanic Smog. Here’s How Dangerous ‘Vog’ Really Is," 9 May 2018
Since dogs cool themselves primarily through their respiratory tract, the compressed tissues in the airways of bulldog breeds limit air exchange and reduce their cooling ability dramatically.

— patty khuly, miamiherald, "In summer, your light-skinned dogs need nontoxic sunscreen | Miami Herald," 3 May 2018
Clements also had black soot in her airways, the medical examiner’s report found.

— erin hegarty, Elgin Courier-News, "Decynthia Clements was shot twice in the head by Elgin cop, had cocaine in her system, medical examiner's report says," 30 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'airway.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of airway

1800

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Aeronautics/Aerospace Terms

apron, corridor, dirigible, fishtail, flat-hat, vector

AIRWAY Defined for English Language Learners

airway

noun

Definition of airway for English Language Learners

medical : the area in the throat through which air passes to and from the lungs
: a route along which airplanes regularly fly
—used in the names of some airlines

AIRWAY Defined for Kids

airway

noun air·way \ ˈer-ˌwā \

Definition of airway for Students

1 : the passage through which air moves from the nose or mouth to the lungs in breathing

2 : a route along which airplanes regularly fly

3 : airline

Medical Dictionary

airway

noun air·way \ -ˌwā \

medical Definition of airway

: a passageway for air into or out of the lungs; specifically : a device passed into the trachea by way of the mouth or nose or through an incision to maintain a clear respiratory passageway (as during anesthesia, convulsions, or in obstructive laryngitis) — see upper airway