gangway
/'gæɳwei/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A passageway between seating areas: A clear path for walking between rows of seats, as found in a theater, auditorium, airplane, or bus.
- A temporary bridge for boarding: A movable, often portable, bridge or ramp used for getting on and off a ship while it is docked.
- A temporary walkway: A makeshift passage made of planks, typically used to cross over an uneven or muddy surface, such as on a construction site.
Examples of Usage
- Noun:
- Please keep the gangway clear for other passengers.
- The crew lowered the gangway so the passengers could disembark.
- Workers laid down a gangway over the wet concrete.
Advanced Usage
- "Above the gangway": In British parliamentary context, this phrase historically referred to Members of Parliament who sat in the seats above the gangway aisle, often indicating stronger loyalty to their party's official policy.
- "Below the gangway": Similarly, this referred to MPs who sat in seats below the gangway, often indicating more independence from their party's official line.
Variants and Related Words
- Gangplank (n): A specific type of gangway; a movable plank used as a narrow bridge from a ship to the shore.
- Passageway (n): A general term for a corridor or path allowing passage from one place to another.
Synonyms
- Aisle: A passage between rows of seats (specific to seating areas).
- Jetway / Aerobridge: A movable connector extending from an airport gate to an airplane.
- Walkway: A path designed for walking.
Related Phrases
- "Mind the gangway!": An exclamation used to ask people to be careful or to clear a path, especially in a crowded or narrow space. This is the origin of the interjectional use meaning "excuse me" or "make way."
- "Gangway! Coming through with a heavy load."
Idioms
- To cross the gangway: Literally, to walk across the gangway to board or leave a ship. It can be used metaphorically to signify transitioning from one state or group to another.
- After years ashore, he was nervous to cross the gangway and return to life at sea.
Noun
- passageway between seating areas as in an auditorium or passenger vehicle or between areas of shelves of goods as in stores
- a temporary bridge for getting on and off a vessel at dockside
- a temporary passageway of planks (as over mud on a building site)