Definitions

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

  • noun Canada A narrow roadway; a lane

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

lane +‎ way

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Examples

Comments

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  • Is this word in use in all English-speaking countries?

    October 26, 2009

  • Australia ... tick.

    October 26, 2009

  • Hadn't heard it before now, so it's rare in the United States, if used at all.

    October 26, 2009

  • According to Wiktionary, Canadians use it too.

    October 26, 2009

  • "In the cold months, the city (Melbourne) beckons with hip boutiques, stylish eateries and blockbuster exhibitions, all neatly positioned on its easily navigable grid of streets and laneways."

    - Nellie Blundell, Frosty, fabulous Melbourne, news.com.au, 23 August 2007.

    October 26, 2009

  • I'm with mollusque. I've never heard this word used, except in the lyrics to this song (written by a Torontonian).

    What's the difference between a street and a laneway?

    October 27, 2009

  • Up here - I can't quite vouch that the usage is the same in Melbourne or indeed other parts - a laneway is an urban right-of-way for anything other than motorised traffic, i.e. an alley for pedestrians and cyclists. From memory, the Melbourne version allows access for service and delivery vehicles but not for through traffic.

    October 27, 2009