What does breadthways mean?
Breadthways means across the width of something or in a transverse direction. If a rectangular surface has two principal directions, a line might run lengthways along its longer dimension or breadthways across it. The word is fully understandable but relatively uncommon in contemporary English, with breadthwise serving as the more usual modern equivalent. It is especially familiar in the traditional contrasting phrase lengthways and breadthways, where it distinguishes movement along a length from movement across a breadth. Breadthways can also convey a technical or descriptive register, as when describing the orientation of grain, cuts, seams, or patterns. Although its vocabulary may suggest an archaic literary style, the term remains precise and useful whenever orientation matters.
adverbAcross or in the direction of the width of something; transversely.
- Across or in the direction of the width of something; transversely.
"The timber was cut diagonally, running lengthways and breadthways across the trunk."
"The shelves were arranged breadthways rather than lengthways."
"A thin crack ran breadthways across the painted panel."
Breadthways is the counterpart of lengthways: one points across a surface, the other along it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does breadthways come from?
Breadthways is formed within English from breadth and the suffix -ways, a development of the wider family represented by sideways and lengthwise. The element breadth comes through Middle English from Old English brædþ, a noun associated with broadness and width. The compound breadthways developed later as a directional term meaning across the width rather than along the length.
How breadthways is actually used
This is an uncommon and somewhat old-fashioned adverb, now largely replaced by breadthwise. It can sound literary, technical, or deliberately traditional, especially in the contrast lengthways and breadthways.
Easily confused with breadthways
Both terms mean across the width of something, but breadthwise is the more usual modern form while breadthways is comparatively old-fashioned and uncommon.