Headway Meaning
/ˈhɛdweɪ/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA movement ahead or forward.
nounForward motion, or its rate.
Sentence Examples
It took a while to make headway in modern medicine.
We've already made some headway.
CEFR Practice Quiz
Despite the problems the team was able to make ____ moving the project forward.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Despite the many challenges, the researchers are finally making some ____ in their study.
Word Origin & History
Partly from Middle English hauedwei, from Old English hēafodweġ (“head-road, main-road”); partly as a shortening of ahead-way, the source of the nautical sense. By surface analysis, head + way.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The whole of the main lines to be electrified were being equipped with four-aspect colour-light signals, automatically operated, where appropriate, and spaced to give a 5min headway throughout."
— 1961 December, “Planning the London Midland main-line electrification”, in Trains Illustrated, page 719:
"Sixty minutes divided by the headway gives a potential figure for 'trains per hour' - the simplest possible and most simplistic definition of capacity, termed line capacity."
— 2019 October, William Barter, “West Coast capacity study”, in Modern Railways, page 66:
"So as not to impede navigation the two principal spans of the bridge were designed to provide a clear headway of 157 ft. above high water for a distance of 500 ft.; [...]."
— 1941 January, the late John Phillimore, “The Forth Bridge 1890-1940”, in Railway Magazine, page 5:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
Despite the problems the team was able to make ____ moving the project forward.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Despite the many challenges, the researchers are finally making some ____ in their study.