Lane

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /leɪn/
• Rhymes: -eɪn
• Homophones: lain

Origin

From Middle English lane, lone, from Old English lane, lanu ("a lane, alley, avenue"), from Proto-Germanic *lanō ("lane, passageway"), from Proto-Indo-European *ela-, *el(ʷ)-, *lā- ("to drive, move, go"). Cognate with Scots lone ("cattle-track, by-road"), Eastern Frisian lone ("lane"), West Frisian leane, loane ("a walkway, avenue"), Dutch laan ("alley, avenue"), Middle Low German lane ("a narrow passage, cattle-track"), Swedish lån ("covered walkway encircling a house"), Icelandic lön ("a row of houses").

Full definition of lane

Noun

1. A narrow passageway between fences, walls, hedges or trees
2. A lengthwise division of roadway intended for a single line of vehicles
3. A similar division of a racetrack to keep runners apart
4. A course designated for ships or aircraft
5. (card games) An empty space in the tableau, formed by the removal of an entire row of cards.

Derived terms

Anagrams

• elan, élan, enal, lean, Lena, Neal