airway

noun

air·​way ˈer-ˌwā 

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

Examples of airway in a Sentence

a patient with a partially blocked airway

Recent Examples on the Web

Taking glutathione through a nebulizer may constrict the airways of people who have asthma or chronic lung conditions. — ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026

This includes the skeletal muscles that Rocky uses to sprint and box, the muscles that allow your heart to beat, the muscles that squeeze food through your stomach and intestines, and the muscles that open up your airways to breathe. — Linda M. Boland, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026

Anesthesia teams protect the airway, manage hemodynamics, and support the delicate balance required for neuromonitoring. — Richard Menger Md Mpa, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026

Both receptors are common on human airway cells High levels of stimulation are detrimental, the researchers wrote, whereas moderate levels indicating small amounts of time spent in cowsheds seemed to be beneficial. — Baltimore Sun, Boston Herald, 9 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1800, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing airway

• bilevel positive airway pressure
• continuous positive airway pressure

Rhymes for airway

• allay
• archway
• array
• ashtray
• assez
• astray
• aue
• away
• ballet
• belay
• beltway
• beret

Kids Definition

airway

noun

air·​way -ˌwā 

1

: a passage for a current of air

especially : one through which air passes to and from the lungs

2

: a regular route for aircraft

especially : one equipped with aids for guiding aircraft

3

: airline

Medical Definition

airway

noun

air·​way -ˌwā 

: 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