beltway

  • 1beltway — term in U.S. for a ring highway around an urban area, especially Interstate 495 around Washington, D.C., the Capital Beltway, completed 1964. Figurative for Washington, D.C., and its culture for better or worse, since c.1978 …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 2beltway — ☆ beltway [belt′wā΄ ] n. an expressway passing around an urban area ☆ the Beltway Washington, D.C., esp. as regarded as the center of U.S. government and politics: so called from the expressway around the District of Columbia & nearby areas …

    English World dictionary

  • 3Beltway — A beltway, loop (American English), ring road or orbital motorway (British English) is a circumferential highway found around or within many cities. Beltway , orbital motorway , perimeter loop , beltline , and similar terms refer to an… …

    Wikipedia

  • 4Beltway — /ˈbɛltweɪ/ (say beltway) noun 1. the, the US political system. –phrase 2. in(side) the Beltway, Colloquial in the political arena. {with reference to Capitol Beltway, a ring road that encircles Washington, DC} …

  • 5beltway — belt|way [ belt,weı ] noun count AMERICAN a road that goes around the edge of a city to keep traffic away from the center. British ring road: the Baltimore beltway inside/outside the Beltway AMERICAN MAINLY JOURNALISM used for talking about… …

    Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • 6beltway — UK [ˈbeltweɪ] / US [ˈbeltˌweɪ] noun [countable] Word forms beltway : singular beltway plural beltways American a ring road …

    English dictionary

  • 7beltway — noun Usage: often attributive Date: circa 1952 1. a highway skirting an urban area 2. cap ; the political and social world of Washington, D.C., viewed especially as insular and exclusive < understanding better than …

    New Collegiate Dictionary

  • 8beltway — /belt way /, n. 1. Also called belt highway. a highway around the perimeter of an urban area. 2. the Beltway, the Washington, D.C., area within the highway that encircles it. [1950 55; BELT + WAY] * * * …

    Universalium

  • 9Beltway — 1. noun A 64 mile Interstate freeway surrounding Washington, D.C.. 2. adjective Of or relating to the culture of Washington, D.C.; politicized. Your New Yorker article posed the question, Can the presidents education crusade survive Beltway&#8230; …

    Wiktionary

  • 10beltway — [[t]be̱ltweɪ[/t]] beltways N COUNT A beltway is a road that goes around a city or town, to keep traffic away from the centre. [AM] (in BRIT, use ring road) …

    English dictionary