path

path

path S2 W2 /pɑːθ $ pæθ/ BrE AmE noun (plural paths /pɑːðz $ pæðz/) [countable]
[Language: Old English; Origin: pæth]
1. TRACK a track that has been made deliberately or made by many people walking over the same ground:
I walked nervously up the garden path towards the front door.
a well-worn path across the grass
Follow the path along the river to the bridge.
a path leading to the summer house
2. WAY THROUGH SOMETHING the space ahead of you as you move along
path through
Police cleared a path through the protesters.
Damian blocked their path.
3. DIRECTION the direction or line along which something or someone is moving
in sth’s/sb’s path
The tornado destroyed everything in its path.
into the path of something
She walked into the path of an oncoming vehicle.
4. PLAN a plan or series of actions that will help you achieve something, especially over a long period of time:
a career path
path to freedom/success/independence etc
She saw a college degree as her path to success.
the same/a different path
I hope you will choose a different path.
5. sb’s paths cross if two people’s paths cross, they meet by chance:
Our paths did not cross again.
⇨ beat a path (to sb’s door) at beat¹(16), ⇨ off the beaten path at beaten(1), ⇨ flight path, ⇨ lead somebody up the garden path at lead¹(12), ⇨ stand in sb’s path at stand¹(30)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ follow a path We followed a path through the trees.
▪ take a path (=start going along it) Take the wide path to the right.
▪ keep to the path They kept carefully to the paths and did not go across the farmer's fields.
▪ a path leads somewhere There are many paths leading to the top of the mountain.
▪ a path winds A narrow path wound down towards the beach.
▪ a path climbs (=goes upwards) I could see the line of a path that climbed up from the bay.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + path
▪ narrow We walked along a narrow path beside a stream.
▪ steep A steep path led down to the harbour.
▪ muddy They trudged up the muddy path.
▪ rocky Our guide trod carefully down the rocky path.
▪ winding He climbed the winding path up the hill.
▪ well-worn (=used a lot or for a long time) I followed what seemed to be a well-worn path heading in the right direction.
▪ a garden path Emma came running up the garden path.
▪ a coast/coastal/cliff path From the cliff path, you get superb views out to sea.
▪ a cycle path (=for people riding bicycles) They should put a cycle path along the edge of each new road they build.
▪ a bridle path (=for people riding horses) He knows all the bridle paths through the woods.