path S2 W2 / pɑθ $ pæθ / 名词 ( 复数形式 paths / pɑðz $ pæðz / ) [可数名词]

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 beat 1 ( 16 ) , → off the beaten path at beaten ( 1 ) , → flight path , → lead somebody up the garden path at lead 1 ( 12 ) , → stand in sb’s path at stand 1 ( 30 )

COLLOCATIONS

动词

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.