runway
🇺🇸 /ˈrʌˌnweɪ/
📖 Definitions
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noun
A defined strip of land or paved surface at an airport used for the takeoff and landing of aircraft.; A raised platform or narrow walkway along which models walk to display clothing and fashion accessories during a fashion show.; A narrow track or path made by animals, especially deer, through vegetation.; A sloping ramp or chute used for launching or guiding objects, such as logs into a river or boats into water.; In business and finance, the length of time a company can continue operating before it runs out of cash, given its current burn rate.; A narrow elevated walkway or gangplank, such as one used in a theater for stage access or in construction.; A track or rail along which a crane, trolley, or similar equipment moves.
🔗 Details
Word forms
countable
Plural: runways
Collocations
runway showfashion runwaylanding striprunway modelextend the runwayrunway lights
Synonyms
landing stripcatwalkstripplatform
Commonly confused
catwalk
EN: 'Catwalk' refers specifically to the narrow platform used in fashion shows, while 'runway' can refer to both a fashion platform and an aircraft landing strip.
taxiway
EN: 'Taxiway' is the path aircraft use to move between the runway and the terminal/gate area, not the strip used for takeoff and landing.
Spelling tips
EN: Written as one word ('runway'), not two ('run way'). The compound is formed from 'run' + 'way'.
💬 Examples
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The plane taxied to the end of the runway before accelerating for takeoff.
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The designer's latest collection was unveiled on the runway at Paris Fashion Week.
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The hunter spotted a well-worn runway through the dense underbrush.
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The logs were sent down the runway into the river for transport downstream.
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The startup has a runway of about eighteen months before it needs to raise additional funding.
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The stagehand crossed the runway above the stage to adjust the lighting rig.
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The overhead crane moved along its runway to position the heavy steel beam.