noun
waterway
WAW-ter-way/ˈwɔtɚˌweɪ/
A route through water used for travel by boats or ships.
Cargo ships follow this busy waterway to the port.
Etymology
Water and way describe a course through water, with the earlier meaning “stream” becoming more specifically a passage for vessels. The word may continue an Old English compound whose meaning is uncertain.
In context
The River Arno is one of the main rivers in Italy and Pisa was built around this waterway.
The rule of the road on the canals is to steer down the centre of the waterway,
More examples
- The canal provides a waterway between the two lakes.
- Barges carry grain along the region's inland waterways.
- This narrow waterway is too shallow for large ships.
Forms
waterway · waterways