byway
See also: by-way
English
Alternative forms
- by-way
Etymology
From Middle English bywey, equivalent to by- + way.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈbaɪweɪ/
- Rhymes: -aɪweɪ
Noun
byway (plural byways)
- a road or track not following a main route; a minor road or path.
- a road that is not frequently travelled.
- (by extension) a little-known or arcane field of study or detail.
- 2013 September 14, Jane Shilling, “The Golden Thread: the Story of Writing, by Ewan Clayton, review [print edition: Illuminating language]”, in The Daily Telegraph (Review), page R29:
- Though his account of written communication over the past 5,000 years necessarily has a powerful forward momentum, his diversions down the fascinating byways of the subject are irresistible ...
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Derived terms
- restricted byway