lane

1 of 2

noun

ˈlān 

1

: a narrow passageway between fences or hedges

2

: a relatively narrow way or track: such as

a

: an ocean route used by or prescribed for ships

b

: a strip of roadway for a single line of vehicles

c

: air lane

d

: any of several parallel courses on a track or swimming pool in which a competitor must stay during a race

e

: an unmarked lengthwise division of a playing area which defines the playing zone of a particular player

f

: a narrow hardwood surface having pins at one end and a gutter along each side that is used in bowling

g

: free throw lane

lane

2 of 2

Scottish variant of lone

Examples of lane in a Sentence

Noun

The truck's driver kept changing lanes.

She moved to the outside lane.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Check out the others here: Nashville's next move: Dickerson Pike illustrates how city's transit push could work As Nashville votes on a transit tax, will choice lanes help ease interstate traffic? Nashville’s transit vote would raise the sales tax. —Duane W. Gang, The Tennessean, 10 Feb. 2025

The Sixth Man of the Year favorite scored 14 points in the frame on 5-of-7 shooting — three 3-pointers, a jumper in the lane and a heads-up layup after salvaging what initially appeared to be a Jaylen Brown turnover. —Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 9 Feb. 2025

Miami Beach will remove the pedestrian plaza and bike lanes from Ocean Drive, returning two-way car traffic to the South Beach street for the first time in nearly five years. —Martin Vassolo, Axios, 7 Feb. 2025

Satisfy, which turns 10 in 2025, carved a lane for itself by offering something different for trail runners through products with a distinct color palette and a sense of individuality typically not seen in the sector. —Lei Takanashi, CNN, 6 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English lanu; akin to Middle Dutch lane lane

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing lane

• air lane
• breakdown lane
• express lane
• fast lane
• free throw lane
• memory lane
• passing lane
• sea-lane
• slow lane

Kids Definition

lane

noun

ˈlān

1

: a narrow way or road usually between fences, hedges, or buildings

2

: a somewhat narrow way or track: as

a

: an ocean route for ships

also : air lane

b

: a strip of roadway for a single line of vehicles

c

: a bowling alley

Biographical Definition

Lane

biographical name

ˈlān 

Edward William 1801–1876 English orientalist