away

From Middle English away, awey, awei, oway, o wey, on way, from Old English aweġ, onweġ (“away”), originally on weġ (“on one's way; onward; on”), equivalent to a- (“on”) +‎ way. Cognate with Scots awa, away (“away”). Compare also Saterland Frisian wäch, wääge (“away”), Dutch weg (“away”), German weg (“away”), Danish væk (“away”), Swedish i väg (“away; off; along”).

• enPR: əwā', IPA^(key): /əˈweɪ/

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• Rhymes: -eɪ
• Homophone: aweigh
• Hyphenation: a‧way

away (comparative further away, superlative furthest away)

1. From a place, hence.

   He went away on vacation.

   • 1922, Ben Travers, chapter 5, in A Cuckoo in the Nest:

     The departure was not unduly prolonged. […] Within the door Mrs. Spoker hastily imparted to Mrs. Love a few final sentiments […] ; a deep, guttural instigation to the horse; and the wheels of the waggonette crunched heavily away into obscurity.

   • 2014 June 14, “It's a gas”, in The Economist, volume 411, number 8891:

     One of the hidden glories of Victorian engineering is proper drains. Isolating a city’s effluent and shipping it away in underground sewers has probably saved more lives than any medical procedure except vaccination.

2. Aside; off; in another direction.
3. From a state or condition of being; out of existence.
4. (as imperative, by ellipsis) Come away; go away; take away.
   • 1933+, Fran Striker, The Lone Ranger, WXYZ-AM

     Hi-yo Silver, away!

5. On; in continuance; without intermission or delay.

   sing away

6. Without restraint.

   You've got questions? Ask away!

7. Being so engaged for the entire time.

   That's where tourists go to hear great Cuban bands and dance the night away.

8. At a distance in time or space.

   Christmas is only two weeks away.

   • 1948, Carey McWilliams, North from Mexico / The Spanish-Speaking People of The United States, J. B. Lippincott Company, page 25,

     While De Anza was exploring the Bay of San Francisco, seeking a site for the presidio, the American colonists on the eastern seaboard, three thousand miles away, were celebrating the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

   • 2013 June 8, “The new masters and commanders”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8839, page 52:

     From the ground, Colombo’s port does not look like much. Those entering it are greeted by wire fences, walls dating back to colonial times and security posts. For mariners leaving the port after lonely nights on the high seas, the delights of the B52 Night Club and Stallion Pub lie a stumble away.

• (away from a place): at bay, off

• abstract away

away

1. (Northern England) come on!; go on!

away (comparative further away, superlative furthest away)

1. Not here, gone, absent, unavailable, traveling; on vacation.

   The master is away from home.

   Would you pick up my mail while I'm away.

2. (following the noun modified) At a specified distance in space, time, or figuratively.

   He's miles away by now.

   Spring is still a month away.

3. (chiefly sports) Not on one's home territory.

   Entrance for away supporters.

   Next, they are playing away in Dallas.

4. (baseball, following the noun modified) Out.

   Two men away in the bottom of the ninth.

away (comparative more away, superlative most away)

1. Misspelling of aweigh.

• away at OneLook Dictionary Search

• Hyphenation: a‧way

away

1. to fight; to contend in physical conflict
2. to quarrel; to squabble
3. to go to war

away

1. a fight; a physical confrontation
2. a quarrel; a heated argument
3. (sports) a boxing or martial arts match
4. a war

For quotations of use of this term, see Citations:away.

• ayaw, yawa

• awey
• awei
• oway
• awi

From Old English onweġ, aweġ.

• IPA^(key): /aˈwɛi/
• Rhymes: -ɛi̯

away

1. Out, away (from), off.
2. Sideways, to a side.

• English: away
• Scots: awa

away

1. (transitive) To weave.

• sinp'ay

IPA^(key): /ˈa.waj/

away

1. fight; quarrel; dispute

away

1. fight; quarrel; altercation; trouble