lane

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A road, street, or similar thoroughfare.

   Penny Lane

2. 2
   noun

   A narrow passageway between fences, walls, hedges or trees.

   There's a shortcut to the shops through this leafy lane.

3. 3
   noun

   A lengthwise division of roadway intended for a single line of vehicles.

   Drivers should overtake in the outside lane

4. 4
   noun

   A similar division of a racetrack to keep runners apart.

   There are eight lanes on an Olympic running track.

5. 5
   noun

   A similar division of a swimming pool using lines of coloured floats to keep swimmers apart.

   a swimming lane

6. 6
   noun

   Any of a number of parallel tracks or passages.

   the checkout lanes in a supermarket

7. 7
   noun

   A course designated for ships or aircraft.

   shipping lane

8. 8
   noun

   An elongated wooden strip of floor along which a bowling ball is rolled.

   We booked a couple of lanes at the bowling alley.

Etymology

From Middle English lane, lone, from Old English lanu (“a lane, alley, avenue”), from Proto-West Germanic *lanu, from Proto-Germanic *lanō (“lane, passageway”). Cognate with Scots lone (“cattle-track, by-road”), West Frisian leane, loane (“a walkway, avenue”), Dutch laan (“alley, avenue”), German Low German Lane, Laan (“lane”), Swedish lån (“covered walkway encircling a house”), Icelandic lön (“a row of houses”).