1.  That by, upon, or along, which one passes or processes; opportunity or room to pass; place of passing; passage; road, street, track, or path of any kind; as, they built a way to the mine. Shak. [1913 Webster]
"I shall him seek by way and eke by street." [1913 Webster]
"The way seems difficult, and steep to scale." [1913 Webster]
"The season and ways were very improper for his majesty's forces to march so great a distance." [1913 Webster]

2.  Length of space; distance; interval; as, a great way; a long way. [1913 Webster]
"And whenever the way seemed long,
Or his heart began to fail." [1913 Webster]

3.  A moving; passage; procession; journey. [1913 Webster]
"I prythee, now, lead the way." [1913 Webster]

4.  Course or direction of motion or process; tendency of action; advance. [1913 Webster]
"If that way be your walk, you have not far." [1913 Webster]
"And let eternal justice take the way." [1913 Webster]

5.  The means by which anything is reached, or anything is accomplished; scheme; device; plan. [1913 Webster]
"My best way is to creep under his gaberdine." [1913 Webster]
"By noble ways we conquest will prepare." [1913 Webster]
"What impious ways my wishes took!" [1913 Webster]

6.  Manner; method; mode; fashion; style; as, the way of expressing one's ideas. [1913 Webster]

7.  Regular course; habitual method of life or action; plan of conduct; mode of dealing. Sir. P. Sidney. [1913 Webster]
"Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace." [1913 Webster]
"When men lived in a grander way." [1913 Webster]

8.  Sphere or scope of observation. Jer. Taylor. [1913 Webster]
"The public ministers that fell in my way." [1913 Webster]

9.  Determined course; resolved mode of action or conduct; as, to have one's way. [1913 Webster]

10.  Progress; as, a ship has way. [1913 Webster]

11.  The longitudinal guides, or guiding surfaces, on the bed of a planer, lathe, or the like, along which a table or carriage moves. [1913 Webster]

12.  Right of way. See below. [1913 Webster]
"All keep the broad highway, and take delight
With many rather for to go astray." [1913 Webster]
"There is but one road by which to climb up." [1913 Webster]
"When night
Darkens the streets, then wander forth the sons
Of Belial, flown with insolence and wine." [1913 Webster]

   To go or travel to; to go in, as a way or path. Wyclif. [1913 Webster]

   To move; to progress; to go. [1913 Webster]
"On a time as they together wayed." [1913 Webster]

way, n. & adv.
--n.
1 a road, track, path, etc., for passing along.
2 a course or route for reaching a place, esp. the best one (asked the way to London).
3 a place of passage into a building, through a door, etc. (could not find the way out).
4 a a method or plan for attaining an object (that is not the way to do it). b the ability to obtain one's object (has a way with him).
5 a a person's desired or chosen course of action. b a custom or manner of behaving; a personal peculiarity (has a way of forgetting things; things had a way of going badly).
6 a specific manner of life or procedure (soon got into the way of it).
7 the normal course of events (that is always the way).
8 a travelling distance; a length traversed or to be traversed (is a long way away).
9 a an unimpeded opportunity of advance. b a space free of obstacles.
10 a region or ground over which advance is desired or natural.
11 advance in some direction; impetus, progress (pushed my way through).
12 movement of a ship etc. (gather way; lose way).
13 the state of being engaged in movement from place to place; time spent in this (met them on the way home; with songs to cheer the way).
14 a specified direction (step this way; which way are you going?).
15 (in pl.) parts into which a thing is divided (split it three ways).
16 colloq. the scope or range of something (want a few things in the stationery way).
17 a person's line of occupation or business.
18 a specified condition or state (things are in a bad way).
19 a respect (is useful in some ways).
20 a (in pl.) a structure of timber etc. down which a new ship is launched. b parallel rails etc. as a track for the movement of a machine.
--adv. colloq. to a considerable extent; far (you're way off the mark).

Idiom:
across (or over) the way opposite. any way = ANYWAY. be on one's way set off; depart. by the way 1 incidentally; as a more or less irrelevant comment.
2 during a journey.
by way of
1 through; by means of.
2 as a substitute for or as a form of (did it by way of apology).
3 with the intention of (asked by way of discovering the truth). come one's way become available to one; become one's lot. find a way discover a means of obtaining one's object. get (or have) one's way (or have it one's own way etc.) get what one wants; ensure one's wishes are met.
give way
1 a make concessions. b fail to resist; yield.
2 (often foll. by to) concede precedence (to).
3 (of a structure etc.) be dislodged or broken under a load; collapse.
4 (foll. by to) be superseded by.
5 (foll. by to) be overcome by (an emotion etc.).
6 (of rowers) row hard. go out of one's way (often foll. by to + infin.) make a special effort; act gratuitously or without compulsion (went out of their way to help). go one's own way act independently, esp. against contrary advice.
go one's way
1 leave, depart.
2 (of events, circumstances, etc.) be favourable to one. go a person's way accompany a person (are you going my way?). have it both ways see BOTH. in its way if regarded from a particular standpoint appropriate to it. in no way not at all; by no means. in a way in a certain respect but not altogether or completely. in the (or one's) way forming an obstacle or hindrance.
lead the way
1 act as guide or leader.
2 show how to do something.
look the other way
1 ignore what one should notice.
2 disregard an acquaintance etc. whom one sees. one way and another taking various considerations into account. one way or another by some means.
on the (or one's) way
1 in the course of a journey etc.
2 having progressed (is well on the way to completion).
3 colloq. (of a child) conceived but not yet born. on the way out colloq. going down in status, estimation, or favour; going out of fashion. the other way about (or round) in an inverted or reversed position or direction.
out of the way
1 no longer an obstacle or hindrance.
2 disposed of; settled.
3 (of a person) imprisoned or killed.
4 (with neg.) common or unremarkable (nothing out of the way).
5 (of a place) remote, inaccessible. out of one's way not on one's intended route. put a person in the way of give a person the opportunity of. way back colloq. long ago. way-leave a right of way rented to another. the way of the Cross a series of paintings or representations of the events in Christ's passion, esp. in a church. way of life the principles or habits governing all one's actions etc. way of thinking one's customary opinion of matters. way of the world conduct no worse than is customary.
way-out colloq.
1 unusual, eccentric.
2 avant-garde, progressive.
3 excellent, exciting.
ways and means
1 methods of achieving something.
2 methods of raising government revenue.
way station US
1 a minor station on a railway.
2 a point marking progress in a certain course of action etc. way-worn tired with travel.

Etymology:
OE weg f. Gmc: (adv.) f. AWAY

N  habit, habitude, assuetude, assuefaction, wont, run, way, common state of things, general state of things, natural state of things, ordinary state of things, ordinary course of things, ordinary run of things, matter of course, beaten path, beaten track, beaten ground, prescription, custom, use, usage, immemorial usage, practice, prevalence, observance, conventionalism, conventionality, mode, fashion, vogue, etiquette, order of the day, cry, conformity, consuetude, dustoor, one's old way, old school, veteris vestigia flammae, laudator temporis acti, rule, standing order, precedent, routine, red-tape, red-tapism, pipe clay, rut, groove, cacoethes, bad habit, confirmed habit, inveterate habit, intrinsic habit, addiction, trick, training, seasoning, second nature, acclimatization, knack, habitual, accustomary, prescriptive, accustomed, of daily occurrence, of everyday occurrence, consuetudinary, wonted, usual, general, ordinary, common, frequent, everyday, household, garden variety, jog, trot, well-trodden, well-known, familiar, vernacular, trite, commonplace, conventional, regular, set, stock, established, stereotyped, prevailing, prevalent, current, received, acknowledged, recognized, accredited, of course, admitted, understood, conformable, according to use, according to custom, according to routine, in vogue, in fashion, in, with it, fashionable, wont, used to, given to, addicted to, attuned to, habituated, in the habit of, habitue, at home in, seasoned, imbued with, devoted to, wedded to, hackneyed, fixed, rooted, deep-rooted, ingrafted, permanent, inveterate, besetting, naturalized, ingrained, habitually, always, as usual, as is one's wont, as things go, as the world goes, as the sparks fly upwards, more suo, more solito, ex more, as a rule, for the most part, usually, generally, typically, most often, most frequently, cela s'entend, abeunt studia in mores, adeo in teneris consuescere multum est, consuetudo quasi altera natura, hoc erat in more majorum, How use doth breed a habit in a man!, magna est vis consuetudinis, morent fecerat usus.

N  method, way, manner, wise, gait, form, mode, fashion, tone, guise, modus operandi, MO, procedure, path, road, route, course, line of way, line of road, trajectory, orbit, track, beat, tack, steps, stair, staircase, flight of stairs, ladder, stile, perron, bridge, footbridge, viaduct, pontoon, steppingstone, plank, gangway, drawbridge, pass, ford, ferry, tunnel, pipe, door, gateway, channel, passage, avenue, means of access, approach, adit, artery, lane, loan, alley, aisle, lobby, corridor, back-door, back-stairs, secret passage, covert way, vennel, roadway, pathway, stairway, express, thoroughfare, highway, turnpike, freeway, royal road, coach road, broad highway, King's highway, Queen's highway, beaten track, beaten path, horse road, bridle road, bridle track, bridle path, walk, trottoir, footpath, pavement, flags, sidewalk, crossroad, byroad, bypath, byway, cut, short cut carrefour, private road, occupation road, highways and byways, railroad, railway, tram road, tramway, towpath, causeway, canal, street, speedway, adv, how, in what way, in what manner, by what mode, so, in this way, after this fashion, one way or another, anyhow, somehow or other, by way of, via, in transitu, on the high road to, hae tibi erunt artes.

N  degree, grade, extent, measure, amount, ratio, stint, standard, height, pitch, reach, amplitude, range, scope, caliber, gradation, shade, tenor, compass, sphere, station, rank, standing, rate, way, sort, point, mark, stage, intensity, strength, comparative, gradual, shading off, within the bounds, by degrees, gradually, inasmuch, pro tanto, however, howsoever, step by step, bit by bit, little by little, inch by inch, drop by drop, a little at a time, by inches, by slow degrees, by degrees, by little and little, in some degree, in some measure, to some extent, di grado in grado.

N  space, extension, extent, superficial extent, expanse, stretch, hyperspace, room, scope, range, field, way, expansion, compass, sweep, swing, spread, dimension, length, distance, size, volume, hypervolume, latitude, play, leeway, purchase, tolerance, room for maneuver, spare room, elbow room, house room, stowage, roomage, margin, opening, sphere, arena, open space, free space, void, waste, wildness, wilderness, moor, moorland, campagna, abyss, unlimited space, infinity, world, ubiquity, length and breadth of the land, proportions, acreage, acres, acres and perches, roods and perches, hectares, square miles, square inches, square yards, square centimeters, square meters, yards (clothing), ares, arpents, spacious, roomy, extensive, expansive, capacious, ample, widespread, vast, world-wide, uncircumscribed, boundless, shoreless, trackless, pathless, extended, extensively, wherever, everywhere, far and near, far and wide, right and left, all over, all the world over, throughout the world, throughout the length and breadth of the land, under the sun, in every quarter, in all quarters, in all lands, here there and everywhere, from pole to pole, from China to Peru, from Indus to the pole, from Dan to Beersheba, from end to end, on the face of the earth, in the wide world, from all points of the compass, to the four winds, to the uttermost parts of the earth.

N  opening, hole, foramen, puncture, perforation, fontanel, transforation, pinhole, keyhole, loophole, porthole, peephole, mousehole, pigeonhole, eye of a needle, eyelet, slot, opening, aperture, apertness, hiation, yawning, oscitancy, dehiscence, patefaction, pandiculation, chasm, embrasure, window, casement, abatjour, light, sky light, fan light, lattice, bay window, bow window, oriel, dormer, lantern, outlet, inlet, vent, vomitory, embouchure, orifice, mouth, sucker, muzzle, throat, gullet, weasand, wizen, nozzle, placket, portal, porch, gate, ostiary, postern, wicket, trapdoor, hatch, door, arcade, cellarway, driveway, gateway, doorway, hatchway, gangway, lich gate, way, path, thoroughfare, channel, passage, passageway, tube, pipe, water pipe, air pipe, vessel, tubule, canal, gut, fistula, adjutage, ajutage, ostium, smokestack, chimney, flue, tap, funnel, gully, tunnel, main, mine, pit, adit, shaft, gallery, alley, aisle, glade, vista, bore, caliber, pore, blind orifice, fulgurite, thundertube, porousness, porosity, sieve, cullender, colander, cribble, riddle, screen, honeycomb, apertion, perforation, piercing, terebration, empalement, pertusion, puncture, acupuncture, penetration, key, opener, master key, password, combination, passe- partout, open, perforated, perforate, wide open, ajar, unclosed, unstopped, oscitant, gaping, yawning, patent, tubular, cannular, fistulous, pervious, permeable, foraminous, vesicular, vasicular, porous, follicular, cribriform, honeycombed, infundibular, riddled, tubulous, tubulated, piped, tubate, opening, aperient, Int, open sesame!.

all the way, any old way, apex of the sun's way, appian way, back way, by the way, by way of, clear the way, every which way, flaminian way, from way back, give way, give way to, go a long way, great white way, in a bad way, in a big way, in a broad way, in a heartfelt way, in a similar way, in a way, in an elaborate way, in no way, in some way, lead the way, look the other way, make way, milky way, milky way galaxy, milky way system, no way, on the way, pave the way, point the way, right of way, roundabout way, rub the wrong way, smooth the way, stand in the way, the other way around, the right way, the way of the world, the whole way, under way, water way, way of life, way out, way shaft, way station