rightofway (countable anduncountable,pluralrights of wayorright of ways)
- (uncountable) The right toproceed first intraffic, on land, on water or in the air. Also in metaphorical senses.
1994, Di Goodman, Ian Brodie,Learning to Sail[1],→ISBN, page86:Even when you have theright of way, you must take action to avoid a collision if another boat fails to give way.
- (countable) A legal right ofpassage over another's land or pathways.
- 2000, "Countryside and Rights of Way Act (2000) (c.37)" (UK), II.48(4)[2],
- “restricted byway” means a highway over which the public have restricted byway rights, with or without a right to drive animals of any description along the highway, but no otherrights of way.
- (countable) A strip of land oralignment whereportions of a roadway,railway,power line, or otherutilities and their associatedstructures andfacilities islocated orpassesacquired througheminent domain orexpropriation.
- Meronym:permanent way
1941, Writers' Program of the Work Projects Administration,Los Angeles: A Guide to the City and its Environs[3], page307:Phillips granted aright-of-way to the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1873.
- (countable) Land on which a right of way exists.
1970, Diana L. Reische,Problems of Mass Transportation[4],→ISBN, page143:New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority plans a rail line on an unusedright of way of the Long Island Rail Road between JFK and Penn Station to whisk passengers to midtown Manhattan in twenty minutes.
- (countable) The area modified for passage of a railway; often specifically therailbed andtracks.
- Synonym:permanent way
1948, Howard Rothmann Bowen,Toward Social Economy[5], page71:For example, if a railroad is required to connect a mine and a smelter, it is necessary to construct aright of way, to lay tracks, etc.
2006, Jane Bloodworth Rowe, “Ferrell Parkway”, inEchoes from the Poisoned Well: Global Memories of Environmental Injustice[6],→ISBN, page187:Mayne, speaking at the 1999 meeting, ranked the trees along theright-of-way as "old growth" or "rare," although she never defined these terms.
- (fencing, uncountable) Thepriority granted to the first person to properly execute an attack.
2002, Elaine Cheris,Fencing: Steps to Success[7],→ISBN, page63:In foil the important thing is to be sure you have theright of way. You gainright of way by starting the attack first or beating the blade last.
- (Wisconsin) The strip of grass between the sidewalk and the street.
- The plural "rights of way" can be used for all senses. The alternative plural "right of ways" is generally used only when referring to a strip of land or alignment where portions of an infrastructure and their associated structures and facilities are located, and may be regarded as an error.
- In sense 1 the phrase is often used without a preceding article; e.g. to haveright of way.
right to proceed first in traffic
strip of land or alignment where portions of an infrastructure and their associated structures and facilities is located
land on which a right of way exists
area modified for passage of a railway
