lane

play

noun \ ˈlān \

Definition of lane

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

See lane defined for English-language learners

See lane defined for kids

Examples of lane in a Sentence

The truck's driver kept changing lanes.
She moved to the outside lane.

Recent Examples of lane from the Web

Roadkill-noshing crows, for example, will pause their meal and fly straight up or walk to a different lane as traffic approaches. 16.

— gemma tarlach, Discover Magazine, "20 Things You Didn't Know About ... Traffic," 7 Aug. 2017
This board’s brimming with storage connections to put Threadripper’s abundant PCI-E lanes to use.

— brad chacos, PCWorld, "AMD Ryzen Threadripper X399 motherboards compared: Specs, prices, and features," 4 Aug. 2017
There was a time not long ago when technology companies appeared to stay in their lanes, so to speak: Apple made computers; Google engineered search; Microsoft focused on office software.

— The Hive, "Why Hollywood as We Know It Is Already Over," 2 Aug. 2017
Madsen said grants would cover much of the costs for the bike lanes, which city officials said will not incur significant costs.

— paul gattis, AL.com, "Protected bike lanes coming soon to downtown Huntsville," 2 Aug. 2017
The 16-year-old driver also was charged with disobeying the signal of an officer, engaging police in pursuit, reckless driving, failure to drive in proper lane and first-degree reckless endangerment.

— christine dempsey, courant.com, "Troopers Chase Stolen Car From Hartford To Vernon, Arrest Teens, State Police Say," 28 July 2017
Afterwards, cool off in the saltwater pool or treat yourself to a horse and carriage ride along 16th-century lanes.

— nancy moreland, Orlando Signature, "Florida's New Resorts," 28 July 2017
Work will begin at 10 p.m., and all lanes will reopen by 5 a.m. the following morning.

— lisa beebe, Los Angeles Magazine, "Here’s the Bad News: Ungodly Night Closures Are Coming to the 405 Near LAX," 27 July 2017
Police reported that John O’Neill Jr. was sitting on the northern curb of 3rd with his legs in the traffic lane, facing southeast.

— ruth brown, idahostatesman, "Nampa driver cited for hitting pedestrian, dragging the man," 27 July 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of lane

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

lane

Definition of lane

Scottish variant of lone

Lane

play

biographical name \ ˈlān \

Definition of Lane

Edward William 1801–1876 English orientalist

LANE Defined for English Language Learners

lane

play

noun

Definition of lane for English Language Learners

: 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