pathway

pathway — 名詞

1. a narrow route made for people to walk on, especially outdoors.

1.名詞A2
釋義

步道

供人步行的戶外小路

a narrow route made for people to walk on, especially outdoors.

例句

A stone pathway leads from the gate to the red front door.

一條石頭步道從大門通往紅色前門。

pathway to + place

Visitors stayed on the wet pathway after the grass was cut.

草剛修剪完後，遊客都走在濕濕的步道上。

stay on the pathway

同義詞
  • path

    the broadest everyday word for a way people walk along

  • footpath

    specifically for people on foot; common in British English

  • trail

    often rougher and more natural, especially in hills or woods

文法句型

a pathway through a garden

a pathway to a place

stay on the pathway

用法筆記

Often used with physical details such as stone, garden, forest, or school grounds. Distinguish from noun/2, which is figurative and describes progress toward a result.

常見錯誤

❌The nurse waited in the hospital pathway.
✅The nurse waited in the hospital corridor.
💡'pathway' usually means an outdoor walking route, not an indoor hall.

2. an ordered set of steps that gives someone a way to reach a goal.

2.名詞B2
釋義

途徑

達成目標的一套步驟

an ordered set of steps that gives someone a way to reach a goal.

例句

The school offers a pathway into nursing for adult learners.

這所學校為成人學習者提供進入護理工作的途徑。

pathway into + field

The factory training course gave Ravi a pathway to a full-time job.

這門工廠培訓課程讓 Ravi 有機會找到全職工作。

pathway to + goal

同義詞
  • route

    emphasizes getting from a starting point to an end result

  • way

    more general and less structured than 'pathway'

  • avenue

    more formal and often used for opportunities or progress

文法句型

a pathway to something

a pathway into something

a pathway for doing something

用法筆記

Common after 'to', 'into', and 'for'. Distinguish from noun/1, which names a real walking track, and from noun/3, which is a formal plan inside healthcare.

常見錯誤

❌Email is the pathway to ask one question.
✅Email is one way to ask a question.
💡this sense usually suggests a fuller route with stages or progress over time.

3. an agreed course of medical care that shows what should happen at each stage of

3.名詞C1
釋義

診療流程

醫療處置依序進行的安排

an agreed course of medical care that shows what should happen at each stage of treatment.

例句

The clinic uses one pathway for children with severe asthma.

這間診所對重度氣喘兒童採用同一套診療流程。

pathway for + patient group

After the scan, doctors changed Maya's treatment pathway immediately.

掃描之後，醫師立刻更改了 Maya 的治療流程。

treatment pathway

同義詞
  • protocol

    often stricter and more rule-based

  • care plan

    a broader term for planned medical support

  • treatment plan

    focuses on planned treatment rather than the full patient route

文法句型

a treatment pathway

a care pathway for someone

change a pathway

用法筆記

Common with words such as 'care', 'treatment', and 'clinical'. The subject is often a hospital, clinic, or care team. Distinguish from noun/2 because this sense names an organized plan inside healthcare.

常見錯誤

❌The doctor gave her a new pathway.
✅The doctor put her on a new treatment pathway.
💡in medical English, the word usually names an organized plan of care, not a single drug.

4. a route in the body, or from one body to another, that carries signals, disease,

4.名詞C1
釋義

傳遞途徑

體內或體間移動的路線

a route in the body, or from one body to another, that carries signals, disease, or similar effects.

例句

Mosquito bites are one pathway for the virus to reach people.

蚊子叮咬是病毒傳到人體的一種傳遞途徑。

pathway for + disease spread

Pain signals travel along a pathway from the hand to the brain.

疼痛訊號會沿著一條途徑，從手傳到大腦。

travel along a pathway

同義詞
  • route

    the most general word for a line of movement

  • channel

    suggests a passage that carries something through

  • tract

    technical and often used for a connected body structure

文法句型

a pathway for something

travel along a pathway

block a pathway

用法筆記

Often used with verbs such as 'open', 'block', and 'travel along'. Distinguish from noun/5: noun/4 is the route something moves on, while noun/5 is the whole chain of chemical steps.

5. a linked chain of chemical changes in a living thing, where one step leads to th

5.名詞C2
釋義

反應途徑

生物體內連續化學反應流程

a linked chain of chemical changes in a living thing, where one step leads to the next.

例句

Inside muscle cells, this pathway turns sugar into energy very quickly.

在肌肉細胞裡，這條反應途徑會很快把糖轉成能量。

pathway turns A into B

In mice, the drug slows a pathway that helps the tumor grow.

在老鼠體內，這種藥會減慢幫助腫瘤生長的反應途徑。

drug slows a pathway

同義詞
  • process

    broader and less technical than 'pathway'

  • cascade

    emphasizes one event setting off later ones

  • sequence

    focuses on order, not the biological system involved

文法句型

a biochemical pathway

a metabolic pathway

a pathway that does something

用法筆記

Common in biology writing with words such as 'biochemical', 'signaling', and 'metabolic'. Distinguish from noun/4: noun/5 is a sequence of reactions, not a route carrying signals or infection.