Trolleyway

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A dedicated track or passage along which small wheeled carts called trolleys are pushed or pulled, often in a mine or factory
2. A route laid down for wheeled trolleys to travel along, usually within an industrial site, warehouse, or underground workings
3. A pathway or guideway set aside so that trolleys can move goods or materials from one place to another

Etymology: Trolleyway is a compound of "trolley" and "way", and its history is plain: it names a track laid for trolleys, the small carts or wagons used to haul goods, most often coal and minerals, in mines, quarries and industrial sites. "Trolley" in this sense is the older one, a light four-wheeled cart pushed or pulled along rails, and the word "way" simply means a path or route, so a trolleyway is literally a route for trolleys. The compound follows the usual pattern for English technical terms of this kind, where a common noun is paired with "way" to name a road, track or passage used by a particular vehicle. The same pattern gives "tramway" and "railway", which likewise name a track built for a specific kind of conveyance.

Synonyms: tramway, tramline