• enPR: ə-wā'; IPA: /əˈweɪ/

From Middle English away, awey, awei, oway, o wey, on way, from Old English āweġ, onweġ ("away"), originally on weġ ("on one's way; onward; on"), equivalent to a- + way.

Cognate with Scots awa, away ("away"), ofs aweg, awei, Saterland Frisian wäch, wääge, Dutch weg, German weg, Danish væk, Swedish i väg.

away (not comparable)

1. From a place, hence.

   He went away on vacation.

   • 1921, Ben Travers, chapter 5, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC ↗:

     The departure was not unduly prolonged. […] Within the door Mrs. Spoker hastily imparted to Mrs. Love a few final sentiments […] ; a deep, guttural instigation to the horse; and the wheels of the waggonette crunched heavily away into obscurity.

2. Aside; off; in another direction.

   I tried to approach him, but he turned away.

3. Aside, so as to discard something.

   throw away, chuck away, toss away

4. At a stated distance in time or space.

   Christmas is only two weeks away.

5. In or to something's usual or proper storage place.

   I'll dry the dishes and you put them away.

   Please file away these documents.

6. In or to a secure or out-of-the-way place.

   The jewels were locked away in the safe.

   He was shut away in the castle tower for six months.

7. From a state or condition of being; out of existence.

   fade away, die away

8. So as to remove or use up something.

   The weather has worn away the inscription, and it is no longer legible.

   Please wipe away this spilled drink.

   That's where tourists go to hear great Cuban bands and dance the night away.

9. (as imperative, by ellipsis) Come away; go away; take away.

   Away! Be gone! And don't let me see you round here again!

   • 1933+, Fran Striker, The Lone Ranger, WXYZ-AM

     Hi-yo Silver, away!

10. On; in continuance; without intermission or delay.

    She's been in her room all day, working away at her computer.

11. Without restraint.

    You've got questions? Ask away!

    I saw her whaling away at her detractors.

• (away from a place) at bay, off, off-, ab-, apo-, de-, out-

• French: loin
• German: fort, weg
• Italian: via
• Portuguese: embora
• Russian: прочь
• Spanish: fuera

• German: fern
• Portuguese: a, daqui a
• Spanish: lejos

• German: fort, weg
• Portuguese: para fora
• Russian: прочь

• German: fort, weg

• German: fort, weg
• Portuguese: sai, saia, vai/vá embora, suma/some daqui
• Russian: прочь
• Spanish: fuera

• Spanish: sin parar

1. (Northern England) Come on! Go on!
2. (Scotland, dismissal) Away with you! Go away!

away (not comparable)

1. Not here, gone, absent, unavailable, traveling; on vacation.

   The master is away from home.

   Would you pick up my mail while I'm away.

2. At a specified distance in space, time, or figuratively.

   He's miles away by now.

   Spring is still a month away.

3. (chiefly, sports) Not on one's home territory.

   This is the entrance for away supporters.

   Next, they are playing away in Dallas.

4. (baseball, following the noun modified) Out.

   Two men away in the bottom of the ninth.

5. (golf) Being the player whose ball lies farthest from the hole (or, in disc golf, whose disc lies farthest from the target).
   • 2016, Justin Menickelli, Ryan Pickens, Definitive Guide to Disc Golf:

     For example, immediately after every person in the group has teed off, if you are clearly the away player (perhaps because you smacked your drive into the tree closest to the tee pad), you should grab your bag and try to be the first person advancing down the fairway.

• German: fort, weg, abwesend
• Portuguese: ausente
• Russian: далеко́

• German: abwesend
• Portuguese: indisponível
• Russian: недоступно

• German: fort, weg, unterwegs
• Portuguese: fora

away (aways, present participle awaying; simple past and past participle awayed)

1. (intransitive, poetic) To depart; to go to another place.

   At 9 o'clock sharp he awayed to bed.

See aweigh

away

1. Misspelling of aweigh