airway

noun

air·​way ˈer-ˌwā How to pronounce airway (audio)
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
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 Iran responded by sending planeloads of food and allowing Qatar airways to fly over its land. Allen Fromherz / Made By History, TIME, 30 Sep. 2024 Most people have either emphysema, which happens when air sacs in the lungs called alveoli don’t function properly, or chronic bronchitis — which happens when inflammation in the airways causes mucus to accumulate in the lungs. Lisa Rapaport, EverydayHealth.com, 27 Sep. 2024 Allergies can swell the airways, putting people with asthma at a higher risk of an attack and subsequent hospitalization. Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 21 Sep. 2024 If the virus infecting the latest case turns out to be H5N1, the fact the patient was hospitalized suggests this germ is evolving to replicate more efficiently in our airways (and coming closer to overcoming the first hurdle). Keren Landman, Vox, 10 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for airway 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'airway.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1800, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of airway was in 1800

Dictionary Entries Near airway

Cite this Entry

“Airway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/airway. Accessed 7 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

airway

noun
air·​way -ˌwā How to pronounce airway (audio)
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

Medical Definition

airway

noun
air·​way -ˌwā How to pronounce airway (audio)
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on airway

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