Byways

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Less commonly used routes or paths found off the beaten track; Minor roads that connect rural areas without significant traffic; Alternative routes that offer a chance to explore quieter or scenic landscapes away from main roads
2. Roads that are less traveled and often more secluded than main thoroughfares
3. Routes that serve as quiet alternatives to busy highways, usually found in rural settings

Etymology: "Byways" is the plural of "byway," a noun formed in Middle English from "by," meaning aside or secondary, and "way," meaning route. The compound is transparent: a byway is a path that runs beside the main road rather than along it. The "by" element is the same one that appears in "bypass" and "bystander," where it likewise signals something set alongside or apart from the main thing. The plural form simply means several such side routes. Because the word describes a road or path that is literally off to one side, its modern figurative use, a secondary or less travelled line of thought or activity, grows naturally from the original physical sense.

Synonyms: backroads, side roads, paths, routes, trails

Antonyms: highways, main roads, thoroughfares, avenues, expressways