Waterway Meaning
/wˈɔtəˌrweɪ/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA body of water, such as a river, channel or canal, that is navigable.
nounA conduit or watercourse, such as on the deck of a ship, to drain water.
Sentence Examples
A river and a canal are both types of waterway.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The Panama Canal is a famous ____ that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The Panama Canal is a very important ____ that connects the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans for large ships today.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English waterwey, from Old English wæterweġ (“waterway”), from Proto-West Germanic *watarweg, equivalent to water + way. Compare Saterland Frisian Woaterwai (“waterway”), West Frisian wetterwei (“waterway”), Dutch waterweg (“waterway”), German Wasserweg (“waterway”), Danish vandvej (“waterway”), Swedish vattenväg (“waterway”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"As hundreds of volunteers and police scoured parks and waterways in an area of New Orleans Tuesday, there were many questions but few answers about the disappearance 11 days ago of a 26-year-old teacher."
— 2013 March 12, Vivian Kuo, “No answers in disappearance of New Orleans teacher”, in CNN, archived from the original on 01 Jul 2018:
"Oil and liquefied natural gas tankers moving through the Strait of Hormuz carry around 20% of the world’s supply. But for countries on the Persian Gulf, the waterway is more than just an energy route – it’s a lifeline for more than 100 million people."
— 2026 March 20, Eleni Giokos, “The Strait of Hormuz is about more than just oil. It feeds 100 million people”, in CNN Business, archived from the original on 23 Mar 2026:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The Panama Canal is a famous ____ that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The Panama Canal is a very important ____ that connects the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans for large ships today.