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

In Pittsburgh, Offit remembered the aquarium in the children's hospital’s small, dark room, used specifically to keep infected children calm to prevent them from spasming and closing their airways before they could get intubated. —Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026

The investigation also concluded the guide and client not caught in the avalanche saved the lives of two women who were buried, by quickly uncovering their airways. —Matthias Gafni, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 Apr. 2026

Their flight plan for Friday also included rehearsals of basic medical procedures — including chest compressions and methods to clear airway obstructions — to help prepare future Orion crews for possible emergencies in deep space. —William Harwood, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026

To keep the airway open while the dog's face heals, Peanut had a small tube inserted into his nostril. —Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 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
• astray
• aue
• away
• ballet
• belay
• beltway
• beret
• betray

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