Subway
/ˈsʌb.weɪ/noun
An underground rapid-transit railway or a pedestrian passage under a road.
Did you know?“Subway” originally meant an underground passage, and the transit sense grew later as cities started building railways below the streets.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
subweg
“There is no established Old English form; the English word is a later formation.”
Late 18th Century
English
subway
“An underground passage or tunnel under a road or railway.”
19th Century
English
subway
“A pedestrian underpass or subterranean passage in a city.”
Late 19th Century
English
subway
“An underground railway or rapid-transit system.”
Modern English
English
subway
“An underground rail system or a pedestrian passage beneath a street.”