Breezeway

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈbɹiːzˌweɪ/

Definitions

1. An outdoor corridor that links two separate buildings while offering shelter from the elements
2. A sheltered passageway that connects different parts of a structure, often enhancing access and flow
3. A roofed walkway between two buildings designed to provide a sheltered route outdoors

Etymology: A breezeway is, quite literally, a way for breezes. The term joins "breeze" with "way", and the "way" half traces back through Old English "weg" and Proto-Germanic "wegaz" to a root meaning road or path. "Breeze" arrived in English from Spanish "brisa", so the compound pairs a Spanish-borrowed wind with a Germanic path. The image is the point of the compound: a roofed passage open at the sides, built so that air moves through it. Architects and homeowners used the word to describe such corridors connecting a house to a garage or to a separate wing, valued for ventilation in warm climates.

Synonyms: passageway, walkway, corridor, path, trail