causeway
/ˈkɔːz.weɪ/ noun, verb
Forms causeways causewaying causewayed
- noun A road that is raised so as to be above water, marshland, and similar low-lying obstacles, which in some cases may flood periodically (e.g. due to tides). Originally causeways were much like dykes, generally pierced to let water through, whereas many modern causeways are more like bridges or viaducts.
- verb (obsolete, transitive) To pave, to cobble.
Etymology
From Middle English cawcewey, with the first element from Middle English cauce, from Anglo-Norman, Old Northern French caucee or Old French caucie, cauchie (“route, highway”), from Vulgar Latin *calciāta (compare modern French chaussée from Old French chaucie, itself from the same source), either from Latin calx, calcis (“limestone”), or alternatively from Latin calciō (“to stamp with the heels, tread”), from calx (“heel”). The second element corresponds to English way.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A way or road rasid above the natural level of the ground, serving as a dry passage over wet or marshy ground.
Etymology [OE. cauci, cauchie, OF. cauchie, F. chaussée, from LL. (via) calciata, fr calciare to make a road, either fr. L. calx lime, hence, to pave with limestone (cf. E. chalk), or from L. calceus shoe, from calx heel, hence, to shoe, pave, or wear by treading.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “causeway”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details