subway

noun

1. 1

   An underground railway, especially for mass transit of people in urban areas.

   He is going to Westminster by subway.

   In 1884 Greathead was part of a syndicate that obtained powers for another subway – 'The City of London & Southwark Subway'. The term 'subway' sounded more sophisticated than 'underground railway', which was associated with the sulphurous Metropolitan, and it would be adopted by New York for its own electric metro when work started on that in 1904.

2. 2

   A train that runs on such an underground railway.

   Just before you leave, the subway comes. You get on. It stops at the next station.

3. 3

   A rapid transit system, regardless of the elevation of its right of way; a metro system.

4. 4

   An underground walkway, tunnel for pedestrians (called pedestrian underpass in US).

   At Nairobi the mail waits an hour-and-a-half. The station has three long platforms, mostly covered in awnings, the island connected with the main platform (which is used by the mails in both directions) by a subway.

   Heading beneath the tracks via the subway to the immediate north of the station takes us to the Didcot Railway Centre.

5. 5

   An underground route for pipes, sewers, etc.

6. 6

   An underground route for creatures (e.g. bats).

verb

1. 1

   informalTo travel by underground railway.

   I suppose I could have subwayed around town in search of froufrou French pastry shops.

Forms

plural

subways

past tense

subwayed

past participle

subwayed

present participle

subwaying

third person singular

subways