airway

From air +‎ way.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɛə.weɪ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɛɚ.weɪ/, /ɛɹ.weɪ/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈeː.wæɪ/
• (New Zealand, without the cheer–chair merger) IPA^(key): /ˈeə.wæɪ/
• (New Zealand, cheer–chair merger) IPA^(key): /ˈiə.wæɪ/
• (Scotland) IPA^(key): /ˈeɹ.we/
• (Lancashire, fair–fur merger) IPA^(key): /ˈɜː(ɹ).weː/
• Rhymes: -ɛə(ɹ)weɪ

airway (plural airways)

1. (anatomy) The trachea.

   Synonyms: trachea, windpipe

   • 2024 May 23, Michael Copley, “A lawsuit accuses a gas stove manufacturer of failing to warn consumers about pollution risks”, in NPR:

     The burners on gas stoves release pollutants including nitrogen dioxide, a key element in smog that can irritate airways and may contribute to the development of asthma, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

   • 2025 May 2, Ari Daniel, “He let snakes bite him some 200 times to create a better snakebite antivenom”, in NPR:

     David Williams, a scientist who evaluates antivenoms for WHO, says the biggest risk to people who are bitten by these snakes is paralysis, "which can prevent them from being able to control their airway and breathing and they can potentially suffocate and die as a result of that."

2. (aviation) A flight path used by aeroplanes.
   • 2020 February 9, Alina Selyukh, “British Airways Sets Record, Crossing The Atlantic In Under 5 Hours In Strong Winds”, in NPR:

     But British Airways Flight 112 made the trek in under five hours, setting a new record for the fastest subsonic commercial flight across the Atlantic Ocean.

3. (mining) A roadway used for ventilation.