What does "gangway" mean?
A passageway through which to enter or leave.; An aisle between rows of seating (especially in a train, aircraft or auditorium).
Gangway
/ˈɡæŋweɪ/ intj, noun, verb
intj, noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A passageway through which to enter or leave.; An aisle between rows of seating (especially in a train, aircraft or auditorium).
- Grammar: gangway is listed as intj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: aisle, access, adit, air lock.
- Useful contrasts: barrier, blockage, hold.
- Usage evidence: The ship lowered its gangway after docking.
How to use "gangway"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "gangway" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "gangway" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "gangway" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "gangway" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "gangway" is acting as intj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "aisle" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "gangway", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A passageway through which to enter or leave.; An aisle between rows of seating (especially in a train, aircraft or auditorium). Ireland, UK
"The new fleet of trains comes with widened gangways and improved seating."
- 2 passageway between seating areas as in an auditorium or passenger vehicle or between areas of shelves of goods as in stores wordnet
- 3 A passageway through which to enter or leave.; The dividing aisle between the rows of seats on either side of the House of Commons. Used chiefly with reference to terms such as below the gangway. UK, broadly
- 4 a temporary bridge for getting on and off a vessel at dockside wordnet
- 5 A passageway through which to enter or leave.; The narrow space between two buildings or houses, used to access the backyard/alleyway from the front. US
"Morris then allegedly tried to flee into a gangway between the bar and another building, closing a gate on an officer as he did"
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 a temporary passageway of planks (as over mud on a building site) wordnet
- 7 An articulating bridge or ramp, such as from land to a dock or a ship.
"We came over on the usual mid-morning service from Victoria and this time, as we came down the gangway of the Invicta, the Shedmaster at Calais, M. Leclerc, and Henri Dutertre were waiting for us."
- 8 A passage along either side of a ship's upper deck.
- 9 A passage through the side of a ship or an opening in the railing through which the ship may be boarded; (also in later use) a jet bridge.
- 10 A temporary passageway, such as one made of planks. rare
- 11 A clear path through a crowd or a passageway with people. dialectal, obsolete, rare
- 12 An earthen and plank ramp leading from the stable yard into the upper storey or mow of a dairy barn.
Verb
- 1 To serve as, furnish with, or conduct oneself as though proceeding on a gangway.
"He gangwayed his way through the crowd, and just as the clock struck midnight, he was standing in front of NBC's camera on national TV as the governor-elect of Minnesota and the first Reform Party candidate ever to be elected to high office."
Intj
- 1 Make way! Clear a path!
"And he pushed his way through the crowd crying, "Gangway, gangway!" and dragging Jane and Michael after him."
Antonyms
Example
"The ship lowered its gangway after docking."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "gangway"?
Common synonyms include: aisle, access, adit, air lock, aisles, alley.
How do you use "gangway" in a sentence?
The ship lowered its gangway after docking.
How do you pronounce "gangway"?
Pronounced /ˈɡæŋweɪ/.
Etymology
From Middle English gangway, from Old English gangweġ (“passageway; thoroughfare”), equivalent to gang + way. Related to Dutch gang (“hallway”) and Norwegian gang (“hallway”).