byway
byway — noun
- bywaysingular
- bywaysplural
1. any road that carries very little traffic, especially one that winds through the
any road that carries very little traffic, especially one that winds through the countryside away from busier routes
The family took a byway through the hills instead of the main highway.
contrast: byway vs highway/main road
Liam discovered a muddy byway behind the old church that led to a hidden lake.
Gita prefers walking along quiet byways where she can hear birds instead of traffic.
Many of these ancient byways are too narrow for modern cars to pass through.
- lane
a narrow road, often between fields or hedges; slightly more common than byway
- side road
a road that joins a main road; more general, can be in towns
- back road
informal; a road away from main traffic routes
- country road
emphasises the rural setting; broader than byway
用法筆記
Used especially of rural roads that are not part of the main road network. Often contrasted with "highway" or "main road."
常見錯誤
2. a less important or less explored part of a subject or activity, especially one
a less important or less explored part of a subject or activity, especially one that is not the main focus of most people's attention
Her research explores the byways of 18th-century kitchen medicine rather than well-known medical texts.
collocation: byways of [subject]
Andrew enjoys the byways of jazz history — obscure musicians who never made records.
The course covers both the main theories and the interesting byways of modern philosophy.
Joaquín wrote a blog about the byways of indie film-making in South America.
- mainstream
the dominant or most widely accepted part of a field
用法筆記
Almost always used in the plural ('byways') in this sense. Commonly paired with 'of' + a field or subject (e.g., 'the byways of art history').