Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A passageway or shaft in which air circulates, as in ventilating a mine.
  • noun The upper passages of the respiratory system by which air reaches the lungs.
  • noun An airline.
  • noun A regular route of travel for aircraft.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Any passage in a mine used for purposes of ventilation; an air-course.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun a duct that provides ventilation, as in mines.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun anatomy The trachea.
  • noun A flight path used by aeroplanes.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the passages through which air enters and leaves the body
  • noun a duct that provides ventilation (as in mines)
  • noun a commercial enterprise that provides scheduled flights for passengers
  • noun a designated route followed by airplanes in flying from one airport to another

Etymologies

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Examples

  • But in drug abuse, in people who abuse smoke or inhaled drugs, you can see some lung damage, damage to the airways and the air sacs, what we call airway obstruction in a fashion similar to emphysema, not truly emphysema, but what we call airway obstruction, especially if there's tobacco abuse on top of potentially marijuana or cocaine smoking.

    CNN Transcript Jun 22, 2008 2008

  • Your child will then be observed for another day to ensure that the airway is safe, and that your child is getting enough oxygen and is drinking normally.

    Laryngomalacia 2010

  • Patients with severe poisoning may require intubation to maintain airway protection. 10

    Fish poisonings and envenomations 2010

  • When the airway is compromised, surgical options include:

    Vocal Cord Paralysis 2010

  • Often, they require no treatment but when they cause narrowing of the airway and breathing difficulty, a physician specializing in airway problems should be contacted.

    Subglottic Hemangiomas 2010

  • In laryntotracheal reconstruction surgery, the surgeon cuts through the airway from the outside to repair the damaged section inside.

    Subglottic Stenosis 2010

  • Patients likely to require long term airway protection or breathing assistance found it more comfortable, and the arrangement also allowed them to talk, recovery of speech often being one of the first functions to return, if it came back at all.

    Critical Condition Clement, Peter, M.D 2002

  • The upper part of your airway is a big muscle, as well.

    CNN Transcript Feb 24, 2005 2005

  • The point of this, Anderson, is to secure the airway, which is mission number one after he was in the hospital.

    CNN Transcript Feb 24, 2005 2005

  • Luckily the doctors have been able to secure an airway, which is one of the most important things.

    CNN Transcript Apr 5, 2003 2003

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