Airway

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɛə.weɪ/

Definitions

1. A passage through which air flows into and out of the lungs during breathing
2. A channel inside the body that allows breathing by carrying air to and from the lungs
3. The internal route through which air passes when inhaled or exhaled during respiration

Etymology: "Airway" is a plain compound: "air" joined to "way," with nothing hidden in the joining. The "air" half traces back through Old French and Latin to the Greek "āḗr," the word for the lower atmosphere, which the Greeks imagined as a damp mist filling the space between earth and sky. The "way" half is an ancient English word for a path or course, descended from Old English "weg," and it has been a common partner in English compounds for centuries. Put together, "airway" describes a route for air, and in its main modern sense it refers to the passage through which breath travels into and out of the lungs. The literal idea of a road for air is exactly what the word still conveys, so its meaning has changed very little from its construction.

Synonyms: passage, channel