Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
dictionary thesaurus view recents

lane

noun
Save Word
\ ˈlān How to pronounce lane (audio) \

Definition of lane

 (Entry 1 of 3)

1 : a narrow passageway between fences or hedges
2 : a relatively narrow way or track: such as
a : an ocean route used by or prescribed for ships
b : a strip of roadway for a single line of vehicles
c : air lane
d : any of several parallel courses on a track or swimming pool in which a competitor must stay during a race
e : an unmarked lengthwise division of a playing area which defines the playing zone of a particular player
f : a narrow hardwood surface having pins at one end and a gutter along each side that is used in bowling
g : free throw lane

lane

Definition of lane (Entry 2 of 3)

Scottish variant of

Lane

biographical name
\ ˈlān How to pronounce Lane (audio) \

Definition of Lane (Entry 3 of 3)

Edward William 1801–1876 English orientalist

Examples of lane in a Sentence

Noun The truck's driver kept changing lanes. She moved to the outside lane.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The result is a car that is quicker to complete a lane change or 60-foot (18m) slalom than the Mk7 GTI and one that's four seconds a lap quicker around the handling course at VW's Ehra-Lessien proving grounds in Germany. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, "The 2022 Golf GTI will have a much smarter brain for more driving fun," 13 May 2020 The fateful lane change arose out of one mayor’s resistance to such blandishments. — Ephrat Livni, Quartz, "The US Supreme Court’s unanimous Bridgegate opinion reads like fiction," 7 May 2020 When instituting bike lanes over the past couple of years, the city had used plastic bollards, orange barrels and last August added concrete barriers to a pair of bridges. — Matt Velazquez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Milwaukee is testing new 'wave' delineators from a Madison company to separate car lanes from the bike path," 7 May 2020 In addition to bike lanes separated by curbs, Kabell backs subsidizing electric bicycles, which could encourage commuters who have longer or hilly journeys. — BostonGlobe.com, "Cycle power: Bikes emerge as a post-lockdown commuter option," 4 May 2020 In addition to bike lanes separated by curbs, Kabell backs subsidizing electric bicycles, which could encourage commuters who have longer or hilly journeys. — Washington Post, "Cycle power: Bikes emerge as a post-lockdown commuter option," 3 May 2020 Hundreds of the prized masks spread across southbound lanes, authorities said. — NBC News, "Britain likely to miss virus testing target, minister admits," 2 May 2020 But instead of returning them to the status quo ante, why not take this opportunity to rapidly paint in bike lanes and adapt our streets to better suit the needs of pedestrians. — Mark Lamster, Dallas News, "With the coronavirus, an opportunity to reinvent Dallas," 30 Apr. 2020 In Milan, officials are looking to install some 22 miles of bike lanes over the summer—after the city's COVID-19 restrictions are lifted—in an effort to encourage biking. — Meredith Carey, Condé Nast Traveler, "Cities Like New York, Paris, and Berlin Are Adding More Bike Lanes," 29 Apr. 2020

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

See More

First Known Use of lane

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for lane

Noun

Middle English, from Old English lanu; akin to Middle Dutch lane lane

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about lane

Time Traveler for lane

Time Traveler

The first known use of lane was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century

Statistics for lane

Last Updated

24 May 2020

Cite this Entry

“Lane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lane. Accessed 26 May. 2020.

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for lane

lane

noun
How to pronounce Lane (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of lane

: a narrow road or path
: a part of road that is marked by painted lines and that is for a single line of vehicles
: a narrow part of a track or swimming pool that is used by a single runner or swimmer in a race

See the full definition for lane in the English Language Learners Dictionary

lane

noun
\ ˈlān How to pronounce lane (audio) \

Kids Definition of lane

1 : a narrow path or road (usually between fences, hedges, or buildings)
2 : a special route (as for ships)
3 : a strip of road used for a single line of traffic
4 : a long narrow wooden floor used for bowling
5 : a narrow course of a track or swimming pool in which a competitor must stay during a race

Keep scrolling for more

More from Merriam-Webster on lane

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for lane

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with lane

Spanish Central: Translation of lane

Nglish: Translation of lane for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of lane for Arabic Speakers

Comments on lane

What made you want to look up lane? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

homonymous

Listen to the pronunciation of homonymous

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Obscure Shapes

  • a pile of three dimensional shapes in green
  • Something that is ooid is shaped like:
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Dictionary Devil

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games