headway

English

Etymology

Partly from Middle English hauedwei, from Old English hēafodweġ (“head-road, main-road”), equivalent to head +‎ way; partly as a shortening of ahead-way, the source of the nautical sense.

Noun

headway (countable and uncountable, plural headways)

Movement ahead or forward.
(nautical) Forward motion, or its rate.
(countable, transport) The interval of time or distance between the fronts of two vehicles (e.g. buses) moving in succession in the same direction, especially along the same pre-determined route.
(uncountable, figuratively) Progress toward a goal.
(countable) The clearance beneath an object, such as an arch, ceiling or bridge; headroom.
(coal-mining) A cross-heading.

Derived terms

make headway

Translations

clearance beneath an object

Bulgarian: просвет (bg) m (prosvet)
German: lichte Höhe f
Italian: luce (it) f, spazio (it) m, altezza (it) f

Russian: просве́т (ru) m (prosvét), высота́ (ru) f (vysotá) (of a tunnel)
Turkish: kemer yüksekliği, tavan yüksekliği

forward motion, or its rate

Bulgarian: напредване (bg) n (napredvane), прогрес (bg) m (progres)
German: Vorwärtsfahrt f
Italian: abbrivio m, impulso (it) m, avvio (it) m

Russian: продвиже́ние (ru) n (prodvižénije), движе́ние вперёд n (dvižénije vperjód)
Turkish: yol alma

time or distance interval between the fronts of two vehicles

Bulgarian: дистанция (bg) f (distancija)
German: Takt (de) m, Fahrzeugabstand m
Italian: intervallo (it) m

Russian: промежу́ток (ru) m (promežútok), интерва́л (ru) m (intɛrvál), расстоя́ние (ru) n (rasstojánije), дистанция (ru) f (distancija)
Turkish: kolbaşları zaman fasılası

progress toward a goal

Bulgarian: прогрес (bg) m (progres)
German: Fortschritt (de) m
Italian: progresso (it) m, avanzamento (it) m, evoluzione (it) f