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waterway

noun
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wa·​ter·​way | \ ˈwȯ-tər-ˌwā How to pronounce waterway (audio) , ˈwä- \

Definition of waterway

1 : a way or channel for water
2 : a navigable body of water
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Examples of waterway in a Sentence

the Erie Canal was superseded by a much larger waterway, the New York State Barge Canal
Recent Examples on the Web Countless other chemical companies also have facilities along the waterway. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "Science and steely nerves spared Houston from a nightmare hurricane evacuation," 1 Sep. 2020 High winds left an out-of-service oil rig blocking navigation on the Calcasieu Ship Channel, an important waterway that serves the Port of Lake Charles. — Tyler Bridges, NOLA.com, "Why Louisiana delegation believes Congress will authorize Hurricane Laura disaster aid," 28 Aug. 2020 In Texas, the border is the Rio Grande, and building a stable wall close to a waterway requires some extra considerations. — Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, "The Privately Built Border Wall Will Fail, Engineering Report Shows," 3 Sep. 2020 Stilwell kept the focus on economic and political disputes with China, identifying Washington as a partner with countries suffering from the construction of Chinese dams on the Mekong River, a major Southeast Asian waterway that originates in China. — Joel Gehrke, Washington Examiner, "‘There’s a choice’: US warns Southeast Asia not to get steamrolled by China," 3 Sep. 2020 The countries have recently stepped up military actions in the narrow waterway. — Nectar Gan, CNN, "US sanctions 24 Chinese companies over South China Sea island building," 27 Aug. 2020 The locks are spaced roughly 10 miles apart along the 100-mile waterway. — Susan Glaser, cleveland, "Exploring Jesse Owens State Park: Ohio’s newest preserve features the Big Muskie Bucket plus fishing, hunting, camping," 20 Aug. 2020 By removing the tapeworms from the fish, scientists can tell which chemicals have been contaminating the waterway over time. — Eric Niiler, Wired, "Should We Conserve Parasites? Apparently, Yes," 13 Aug. 2020 Limestone Branch in Loudoun County, just north of Leesburg, rose more than 9.5 feet, making the waterway reach 10.15 feet. — Dana Hedgpeth, Washington Post, "Nine rescued amid flash-flooding as creek rises 9½ feet in Loudoun County," 7 Aug. 2020

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

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First Known Use of waterway

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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Time Traveler for waterway

Time Traveler

The first known use of waterway was in the 14th century

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Statistics for waterway

Last Updated

20 Sep 2020

Cite this Entry

“Waterway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/waterway. Accessed 30 Sep. 2020.

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More Definitions for waterway

waterway

noun
How to pronounce waterway (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of waterway

: a canal, river, etc., that is deep and wide enough for boats and ships to travel through

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

waterway

noun
wa·​ter·​way | \ ˈwȯ-tər-ˌwā How to pronounce waterway (audio) , ˈwä- \

Kids Definition of waterway

: a channel or a body of water by which ships can travel

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More from Merriam-Webster on waterway

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for waterway

Nglish: Translation of waterway for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of waterway for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about waterway

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