lead the way

To go first and guide others

lead up to

1. To bring about by degrees, to prepare for by steps or stages
2. To happen immediately before
3. To play in challenge to, or with a view to weakness in (cards)

way¹ /wā/

noun

1. Passage
2. A road, street, track
3. (with cap) used in street names
4. Direction of motion
5. The correct or desired route or path
6. Length of space, distance (also in pl (informal, esp US))
7. District
8. Room or opportunity to advance
9. Freedom of action, scope
10. Manner of life
11. Established routine
12. Position, as in wrong way up, other way round, etc
13. Condition, state
14. Advance in life
15. Normal or habitual course or conduct
16. (in pl) a characteristic feature of behaviour, an idiosyncrasy
17. Manner, style
18. Method
19. Means
20. Course
21. Respect
22. Will
23. Progress, forward motion, as in edge one's way, eat one's way through, etc
24. Progress or motion through the water, headway (nautical)
25. The direction of the weave, grain, etc
26. (in pl) the machined surfaces of the top of a lathe bed on which the carriage slides, shears (engineering)
27. (in pl) the framework of timbers on which a ship slides when being launched

intransitive verb (Spenser)

To journey

wayˈless adjective

Without a path

way baggage noun (US)

Baggage to be laid down at a way station

wayˈbill noun

1. A list of passengers and goods carried by a public vehicle
2. A document giving details regarding goods sent by rail or road vehicle, etc
3. A list of places to be visited on a journey

wayˈboard or weighˈboard noun (geology)

A thin stratum or seam separating thicker strata

wayˈbread noun (OE wegbræde, from brād broad, flat; dialect)

The common plantain

wayˈfare intransitive verb (archaic)

To travel, esp on foot

noun (archaic)

Travel, esp on foot

wayˈfarer noun

A traveller, esp on foot

wayˈfaring noun and adjective

wayfaring tree noun

Viburnum lantana, a large shrub with white flowers and berries that turn red and finally black, common in hedges

way freight noun

Freight for a way station

wayˈ-going noun and adjective (Scot)

Departing

wayˈgone adjective

Exhausted by travelling

waylayˈ transitive verb (waylayˈing; waylaidˈ)

1. To lie in ambush for
2. To attack or seize on the way
3. To lie in wait for in order to converse with
4. To obstruct or intercept (obsolete)

waylayˈer noun

wayˈleave noun

Permission to pass over another's ground or property

wayˈ-maker noun

1. A pioneer
2. A precursor

wayˈmark noun

1. A signpost
2. Something that serves as a guide to a traveller

transitive verb

To mark out (a path, etc) with guideposts, signs, etc

way of life noun

1. The style or conditions in which a person lives
2. The living of one's life according to certain principles

Way of the Cross noun

1. A series of pictorial representations of the stages of Christ's progress to Calvary
2. Devotions practised in connection with these stages

way passenger noun

One picked up or set down at a way station or an intermediate point on a coach or bus route

way point noun

A point for stopping, changing course, etc, on a journey

wayˈpost noun

A guidepost

ways and means plural noun

1. Resources
2. Methods eg of raising money for the carrying on of government (Committee of Ways and Means the House of Commons sitting in the character of a committee to consider methods of raising money supplies; (in the USA) a permanent committee of the House of Representatives to which bills concerned with revenue are referred)

wayˈside noun

The border of a way, path or highway (fall by the wayside to fail or give up in one's attempt to do something; to drop out)

adjective

Growing, situated or lying near the wayside

way station noun (US)

An intermediate station between principal stations

way traffic noun (US)

Local traffic, as distinguished from through or express traffic

way train noun (US)

A train stopping at most of the stations on a line

way warden noun

A person appointed to supervise the upkeep of roads and footpaths in a district

wayˈwiser noun

An instrument for measuring distance travelled

wayˈworn adjective

Worn out by travel

across or over the way

On the other side of the street, etc

be by way of

To be supposed or alleged to be or be (doing, being, etc)

by or with someone's way of it (Scot)

According to someone's belief or assertion

by the way

1. Incidentally
2. While travelling
3. Beside one's path

by way of

1. Travelling through, via
2. As if for the purpose of
3. In character of, as a substitute for

come someone's way

To come within someone's experience or reach, to become attainable by someone

come or go someone's way

To come or go in the same direction as someone

divide three, etc, ways

To divide into three, etc portions

get or have one's or (one's own) way

To get or do what one wants

give way (to) see under give¹

go all or the whole way (with) (informal)

To have sexual intercourse (with)

go one's own way

To act independently

go one's way

To depart

go out of the (or one's) way

1. To give oneself trouble
2. To make a special effort (to do something)

go someone's way

(of circumstances, etc) to favour someone

go the way of all flesh or all the earth

To die

have a way with

To be good at dealing with or managing (people, etc)

have a way with one

To have a fascinating personality or persuasive manner

have it both ways

(usu with a neg) to benefit from two actions, situations, arguments, etc, each of which excludes the possibility, validity, etc of the other

have it one's (or one's own) way

To do, think, etc what one pleases, with no regard for others' advice or opinions

have one's way

To carry one's point, get what one wants

have way (nautical)

(of a vessel) to be in motion

in a bad way

1. In a serious condition
2. Very upset

in a fair way to

Likely to succeed in

in a small (or big or large) way

On a petty (or a large or grandiose) scale

in a way

1. To some extent
2. From one point of view
3. In a state of agitation or distress (old)

in his, etc way (or own way)

As far as his, etc individual merits go, leaving aside the disadvantageous aspects

in no way

Not at all

in the family way see under family

in the (or one's) way

1. In one's path, impeding one's progress, creating an obstruction
2. On the way

in the way of

1. In a good position for effecting or attaining
2. In the habit of (informal)
3. In respect of

lead the way

To act as a guide or inspiration to others

look the other way

1. To look away, sometimes deliberately in order not to see someone or something
2. To take no notice esp of something calling for attention

lose the (or one's) way

To leave one's intended route by mistake and become lost

make one's way

1. To move forward, sometimes with difficulty, to proceed
2. To make good progress, achieve success

make way

1. To make room
2. To advance

no two ways about it

That is certain, there is no doubt about it

no way (informal)

Under no circumstances, absolutely not

one way and another

Considering various aspects

one way or the other

By any means possible

on the (or one's) way

1. Moving towards a destination or event
2. In progress
3. At a point on one's journey

on the way out

Becoming unpopular, unfashionable, etc

out of the way

1. So as not to hinder or obstruct
2. Away from main routes, remote (out-of-the-wayˈ adjective)
3. Dealt with, finished with
4. In prison or dead and gone
5. (usu with neg) out of the ordinary, unusual
6. Lost, hidden (Shakespeare)

put someone in the way of

To contrive to make available to someone

take one's way

1. To set out, proceed
2. To follow one's own inclination or plan

the Way

The Christian Religion (from Bible, Acts 9.2, etc)

under way

1. (of a vessel) in motion (also underway)
2. Progressing

way to go (US inf)

An expression of praise or encouragement.