Runways

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Surfaces designed for airplanes to take off and land safely ; elevated or extended platforms used for models to walk and display clothing during fashion shows
2. Strips of prepared ground or pavement where planes accelerate to lift off or touch down ; narrow stages that project into an audience area to showcase fashion garments worn by models
3. Designated areas at airports facilitating aircraft movement during departure and arrival ; specialized stages that allow designers to present their new clothing lines on models walking before spectators

Etymology: "Runways" is the plural of "runway," a compound of "run" and "way." The pairing is literal: a runway is simply a way on which something runs. The "run" half traces back through Old English "rinnan" and Proto-Germanic roots, while "way" comes from Old English "weg," which has descended to modern English essentially unchanged in spelling and sense. The aviation sense is the one most people know, but the word began as a plain description of a path or track on which something runs. Its specialized uses, first for the strip of ground an aircraft races along and later for the catwalk where fashion models display new collections, both extend that literal meaning. A plane gathering speed and a model striding toward an audience follow the same track, just in different settings.

Synonyms: paths, routes, airstrips