subway

subway — noun

1. a city's train network that runs mostly or entirely in tunnels beneath the stree

1.nounA2
Definition

a city's train network that runs mostly or entirely in tunnels beneath the streets

Example

Sora takes the subway to school every morning because it is faster than the bus.

The subway in Taipei is known for being clean, on time, and easy to use.

collocation: take the subway / ride the subway

Common collocations
  • take the subway
  • ride the subway
  • catch the subway
  • subway station
  • subway line
  • subway system
  • subway map
  • subway train
  • subway car
  • by subway
  • on the subway
  • subway platform
  • subway entrance
  • subway ticket
  • subway fare
Synonyms
  • metro

    used for systems in European cities such as Paris or Moscow; also the official name of systems in Washington D.C. and some other cities

  • underground

    the standard British English term for an urban train system that runs below ground

  • tube

    informal name for the London Underground, from the shape of its tunnels

Grammar Patterns

the subway

by subway

take + the + subway

Usage Note

In the United States, subway is the standard word for an urban underground train system. In the United Kingdom, the same kind of system is called the underground or (in London) the tube. Subway is not used for the London system.

Common Mistakes

I took the subway in London.
I took the underground in London.
In British English, subway means a pedestrian passage under a road, not the train system.

2. a paved tunnel built under a road or street so that people can walk safely from

2.nounB1
Definition

a paved tunnel built under a road or street so that people can walk safely from one side to the other

Example

The children used the subway to cross the main road on their way to school.

Tuan walked through the subway and came out on the other side of the street.

walk through a subway / use a subway to cross

Common collocations
  • use a subway
  • walk through a subway
  • subway entrance
  • dark subway
  • narrow subway
  • underground subway
  • pedestrian subway
Synonyms
  • underpass

    the preferred American English term; can also refer to a road passing under another road

  • pedestrian tunnel

    more descriptive and neutral across both varieties

Grammar Patterns

a subway

the subway

through + a + subway

Usage Note

This meaning is common in British English. In American English, the same structure is usually called an underpass or a pedestrian tunnel. The subway/underpass difference is one of the better-known vocabulary contrasts between British and American English.

Common Mistakes

I walked through the subway to the platform.
I walked through the underground passage to the platform.
If you mean a pedestrian crossing, avoid using subway near train contexts in American English, where subway means the train system.

Word family

  • subways
    noun pluralA2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Subway, metro, underground, and tube all refer to urban electric train systems that run below ground, but their use depends on region. Subway is the standard term in the United States and in several other cities around the world (Beijing, Tokyo, Toronto). Metro is used for systems in many European cities such as Paris, Moscow, and Barcelona, and it is also the official name of the Washington D.C. system. Underground is the standard British English term used nationwide — for example, London's system is called the London Underground. Tube is an informal nickname for the London Underground only, referring to the narrow, circular tunnels of the deeper lines. A Londoner would say "I'll take the Tube" in casual conversation but "the London Underground" on a map or in formal writing. An American would never call their local system "the tube" but would naturally say "the subway." These regional differences matter for natural communication: saying "I took the underground in New York" would sound odd to an American listener.

subway ↗metro ↗underground ↗tube ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • subway system
  • subway station
  • subway train
  • subway line
  • subway map
  • subway platform
  • subway ticket
  • subway entrance

Phrases

  • take the subway
  • ride the subway
  • catch the subway
  • miss the subway
  • wait for the subway
  • use the subway

Prepositions

  • on the subway
  • by subway
  • in the subway
  • through the subway

Etymology

LatinOld EnglishEnglish

Subway was formed in English by combining the Latin prefix sub- (meaning 'under') with the Old English word weg (meaning 'path or road'). It first appeared in the early 1800s to describe underground passages for pedestrians or utilities. When electric underground railways were built in cities toward the end of the 19th century, the same word was applied to the train system, especially in the United States. This gave the word two related but distinct meanings that now vary by dialect.