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Glite Dictionary
🌊 Water channel 🚫 Protected river area
floodway

floodway

5.8
Part of a river area that floods kept free of buildings so floodwater can flow safely
  • noun
  • /ˈflʌdweɪ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : zona de inundación
  • The city council voted to keep the floodway free of new construction to reduce flood risks.
  • properties in floodways

Examples

  • Do you know where the nearest floodway is located?

  • Building in the floodway is prohibited to protect both people and property from flooding.

  • Engineers studied the floodway to ensure it could handle heavy rainfall during the storm season.

  • The city maintains a clear floodway to prevent flooding during heavy rains.

  • The city implemented strict regulations to ensure that the floodway remains clear of any buildings or structures.

  • Residents living near the river were reminded that their properties are located within the designated floodway, where development is prohibited.

  • To protect lives and property during heavy rains, the government designated specific areas as floodways that must stay undeveloped.

Antonyms

development
615 2.9

The process of making land ready for building or farming

How Developed

urban area
41 2.7
floodplain
11 4.6
floodway
  • Specialized
5.8
open field
15 1.2

Surface Forms

floodway singular
floodways plural

Morphology

floodway = flood + way (semi-transparent) = flood + way

While composed of 'flood' + 'way', this sense has a regulatory/land-use nuance ('must be kept clear') that is a specialized extension beyond the simple literal path-for-floods.

Etymology

Floodway comes from the parts flood ('a large flow of water') and way ('a path'). So a floodway is an area kept clear as the path for floodwater to flow during floods, and that is why people often do not allow building there.