Lane Meaning
/leɪn/Definition, CEFR level A2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounA road, street, or similar thoroughfare.
nounA narrow passageway between fences, walls, hedges or trees.
Sentence Examples
The rightmost lane is now under construction.
It is a long lane that has no turning.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The car turned into a narrow ____ between the old brick houses.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The narrow country ____ was lined with tall ancient trees that provided plenty of shade for the walkers.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English lane, lone, from Old English lanu (“a lane, alley, avenue”), from Proto-West Germanic *lanu, from Proto-Germanic *lanō (“lane, passageway”). Cognate with Scots lone (“cattle-track, by-road”), West Frisian leane, loane (“a walkway, avenue”), Dutch laan (“alley, avenue”), German Low German Lane, Laan (“lane”), Swedish lån (“covered walkway encircling a house”), Icelandic lön (“a row of houses”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Tell her how the IRA made you run like hell away / From the green and lovely lanes of Killashandra."
— c. 1930, Dominic Behan, “Come Out Ye Black and Tans”performed by The Wolfe Tones:
"It was a gala night at the Lane, with Charles Mathews coming over from Covent Garden […]"
— 1950, Basil Francis, Fanny Kelly of Drury Lane, page 37:
Explore More A2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The car turned into a narrow ____ between the old brick houses.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The narrow country ____ was lined with tall ancient trees that provided plenty of shade for the walkers.