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subway

subway

54 1.0
An underground passage for people to cross under a road or railway
  • noun
  • /ˈsʌbˌweɪ/
  • UK
translation icon : paso subterráneo
  • After the concert, we walked through the subway to reach the other side of the street.

Examples

  • I have maps with bus and subway routes, which I will give you after classes today.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • The temperature in the subway station was tropical, the humid air heavy with pungent odors.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • Looks like an old subway map.

    The Bone Collector (1999)

  • 'As I ran back through the subway to my platform, I was walking on air.

    Brief Encounter (1945)

  • And I get a lot of reading done on the subway.

    Election (1999)

  • You could take the subway.

    Dark Water (2005)

  • Let's go to the subway tunnel.

    Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)

  • A monthly subway card to get to work is a need, but Uber rides are a want.

  • The grinding of the wheels is heard as the train moves into the subway tunnel.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • Moving quickly and bending down to avoid being seen, she rushes into the awaiting subway tunnel.

    Fiction book (2002)

Synonyms

tunnel
vssubway
615 1.0

An underground passage for cars, trains, or people to travel through

is specifically for pedestrian crossing beneath roads or railways rather than broad transport
underpass
vssubway
12 2.7

A tunnel under a road or railway that people use to cross safely

is for pedestrians only and not meant for vehicles to pass
underground tunnel
vssubway
7 3.2

A passage built under the ground for people or vehicles to pass through

focuses on short pedestrian crossings beneath roads or rails, not utility or long routes

Compounds

subway station
  • US
22 1.4

A place where underground trains stop to let people on and off

subway system
  • US
17 2.4

Electric trains that run under a city and carry many people

subway train
  • US
7 2.1

A train that runs under a city to carry people

subway token
  • Archaic
2 4.0

A small metal piece like a coin used to pay to enter a subway station

subway fare
  • US
2 2.2

The money you pay to ride the subway

Surface Forms

subway singular
subways plural

Morphology

subway = way (transparent) = sub + way

The composition 'sub-' (under) + 'way' straightforwardly denotes an under-path or passage.

Etymology

Subway comes from the parts sub- meaning 'under' and way meaning 'path' or 'road', so it literally means a 'path under' the street. That's why a subway can be a tunnel people use to cross safely beneath a road.