Meaning & use
a gangway
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Meanings
nouncountable
A movable bridge or narrow platform used for walking between a ship and the shore, or between two parts of a ship.
Grammar: Countable: one gangway, two gangways. Often used with 'on' or 'down': on the gangway, down the gangway.
Patterns
- on the gangway
- down the gangway
- the ship's gangway
Passengers waited on the gangway before boarding the ferry.
The crew lowered the gangway so we could step onto the dock.
She slipped on the wet gangway and dropped her bag.
nouncountableBritish
A passage between rows of seats in a theater, airplane, or other public space.
Grammar: Countable: one gangway, two gangways. Common in British English for what Americans usually call an 'aisle'.
Patterns
- in the gangway
- block the gangway
- walk down the gangway
Please keep your bags out of the gangway.
He stood in the gangway and watched the whole show.
The usher showed us to seats right next to the gangway.
Word forms
| plural | gangways |
|---|
Common combinations
- board via the gangway
- We boarded via the gangway at the rear of the ship.
- lower the gangway
- The sailors lowered the gangway as soon as we arrived.
- block the gangway
- Please don't block the gangway with your luggage.
- a narrow gangway
- A narrow gangway led from the deck to the cabin.
Synonyms and how they differ
- aisle
- Use 'aisle' in American English for the walkway between seats; 'gangway' is more common in British English for this meaning.
- ramp
- A ramp is a sloping surface for moving between levels; a gangway is usually flat and connects a ship to land.
- walkway
- A walkway is any path for walking; a gangway is specifically a movable bridge or a passage between rows.
Word family
- gangplank noun
- A board or small bridge used to get on or off a ship; very similar to a gangway.
Commonly confused: a gangway or gateway? a gangway or hallway?
a gangway vs gateway
A gateway is an opening or entrance in a wall or fence; a gangway is a movable bridge or a passage between rows.
a gangway vs hallway
A hallway is a corridor inside a building; a gangway is usually on a ship or between seats.
Practice
The ferry docked, and the passengers walked down the ______ to the pier.
Choose one answer.
'Gangway' is the movable bridge between a ship and the shore. 'Gateway' is an entrance in a wall, 'hallway' is a corridor inside a building, and 'runway' is where planes take off.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a gangway”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.